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Cemetery Plant Crinum

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This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
See below
Description

Crinum lilies are summer-flowering bulbs in the Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis) family. They have an erect growth habit and reach 2 to 4 feet tall and wide. They are native to the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas and are sometimes called cemetery plants because, in past centuries, they were often used in cemeteries.  

Plant crinum lilies in April through late October. These bulbs are cold hardy to 25 degrees F. They thrive in sunny locations, provided the soil is moist, or in partial shade. Protect from strong wind. Newly planted crinums need to settle in for a season or two before they begin blooming freely. They do not like to be disturbed. After the first flowering season, apply a high-phosphorus fertilizer in mid-May each year. Once established they are fairly drought tolerant but may need additional moisture during particularly dry conditions while the plant is in flower. After four to five years, remove the offsets and replant to enlarge your collection or to share with a gardening friend.

Division is an excellent form of propagation. Divided plants will flower more quickly than when planting from offshoot bulbs. Division should be accomplished in the winter months when the plant is not actively growing, but this task can be quite challenging as the bulbs can get quite large as the plants mature.  

Crinum lilies have graced Southern landscapes for years. They lend a bit of nostalgia and add a delightful tropical touch to gardens. Their foliage is lustrous and statuesque, providing a pleasing contrast to finer-textured ornamentals.

Crinums have many uses in the landscape. Mass planted or in small groups their fragrant, showy blooms make a statement in borders or woodland, butterfly, and cutting gardens. They are moderately salt tolerant, which is a benefit when planted in coastal areas. Crinums grown in containers are an accent wherever you need one; move the container indoors for the winter if you live in a colder climate.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Crinums can be affected by red blotch fungus or crinum mosaic potyvirus. Red blotch fungus will cause red spots on the leaves, while mosaic potyvirus will cause yellow streaks. Spider mites and caterpillars are an occasional pest issue as well as the Eastern lubber grasshopper. Causes low toxicity if eaten. 

Additional Crinum Images at Juniper Level Botanic Garden

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Alba'
    White flowers
  • 'Album'
    White flowers
  • 'Bradley'
    Dark Pink flowers
  • 'Cintho Alfa'
    Pink-white striped flowers
  • 'Creole' - Crinum scabrum
    Dark pink flowers
  • Crinum americanum Form
    Swamp Lily
  • 'Elizabeth Traub'
    Dark rose-pink flowers with white throat
  • 'Ellen Bosanquet'
    Deep pink flowers
  • 'Milk and Wine'
    Pink striped flowers
  • 'Mrs. James Hendry'
  • 'Rubra'
    Wine-red flowers
  • 'Stars and Stripes'
    Pink-white striped flowers
'Alba', 'Album', 'Bradley', 'Cintho Alfa', 'Creole' - Crinum scabrum, Crinum americanum, 'Elizabeth Traub', 'Ellen Bosanquet', 'Milk and Wine', 'Mrs. James Hendry', 'Rubra', 'Stars and Stripes'
Tags:
#hummingbird friendly#bulb#showy flowers#poisonous#fragrant flowers#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#frost tender#salt tolerant#showy leaves#deer resistant#poor soils tolerant#humidity tolerant#urban conditions tolerant#clay soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#container plant#wet soils intolerant#long lived#woodland
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Alba'
    White flowers
  • 'Album'
    White flowers
  • 'Bradley'
    Dark Pink flowers
  • 'Cintho Alfa'
    Pink-white striped flowers
  • 'Creole' - Crinum scabrum
    Dark pink flowers
  • Crinum americanum Form
    Swamp Lily
  • 'Elizabeth Traub'
    Dark rose-pink flowers with white throat
  • 'Ellen Bosanquet'
    Deep pink flowers
  • 'Milk and Wine'
    Pink striped flowers
  • 'Mrs. James Hendry'
  • 'Rubra'
    Wine-red flowers
  • 'Stars and Stripes'
    Pink-white striped flowers
'Alba', 'Album', 'Bradley', 'Cintho Alfa', 'Creole' - Crinum scabrum, Crinum americanum, 'Elizabeth Traub', 'Ellen Bosanquet', 'Milk and Wine', 'Mrs. James Hendry', 'Rubra', 'Stars and Stripes'
Tags:
#hummingbird friendly#bulb#showy flowers#poisonous#fragrant flowers#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#frost tender#salt tolerant#showy leaves#deer resistant#poor soils tolerant#humidity tolerant#urban conditions tolerant#clay soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#container plant#wet soils intolerant#long lived#woodland
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Crinum
    Family:
    Amaryllidaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Bulb
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Tropics & Subtropics of Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas
    Wildlife Value:
    Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers.
    Play Value:
    Attractive Flowers
    Easy to Grow
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    This plant is moderately salt tolerant, and is seldom damaged by deer.
    Bulb Storage:
    Store bulbs in slightly moist sand at 35-45 degrees F (2-7 degrees C); if grown indoors in a container, place in a bright, cool [55 degrees F, 13 degrees C) night temperature room
    Dimensions:
    Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Bulb
    Poisonous
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Coarse
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    Red/Burgundy
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Fragrant
    Good Cut
    Long Bloom Season
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Funnel
    Trumpet
    Flower Petals:
    6 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    3-6 inches
    Flower Description:
    Lily-like flowers (to 4” wide and long), ranging in shape from bell-shaped to spider-like, bloom in clusters in summer atop leafless stalks.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Fleshy
    Leathery
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Whorled
    Leaf Shape:
    Linear
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The coarse, sword-like green basal leaves form in a spiral fashion.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    The leafless stems are called scapes. They are sturdy and rigid.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Container
    Houseplants
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Cutting Garden
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Small groups
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Hummingbirds
    Moths
    Pollinators
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Heat
    Humidity
    Salt
    Urban Conditions
    Problems:
    Poisonous to Humans
  • Poisonous to Humans:
    Poison Severity:
    Low
    Poison Symptoms:
    Nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
    Poison Toxic Principle:
    Alkaloids
    Causes Contact Dermatitis:
    No
    Poison Part:
    Flowers
    Fruits
    Leaves
    Roots
    Sap/Juice
    Stems