Hong Kong Lily
Lilium brownii

Family: Liliaceae

What it is like

Lilium brownii is a BULB growing to 1.2 m (4ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.2

Where it is found

Loose fertile soil along woodland edges or in grass and thickets. Rock crevices, amongst coarse grass and scrub below 1,500 metres.

E. Asia - Southern China from Hong Kong, to Burma

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Bulb - cooked. A pleasant slightly sweet taste, they are used as a vegetable in much the same way as potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). A starch can be extracted from the bulbs and added to other foods. The grated bulb can be added as a thickener to soups etc. The bulb is usually rather small - it is 25 - 40mm in diameter. The dried flower petals are used as a flavouring in soups.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The bulb is antitussive, diuretic, carminative, expectorant, febrifuge, pectoral, sedative and tonic. A decoction is used in the treatment of coughs and haematemesis due to deficiency condition, anxiety, apprehension, oedema and difficult urination. Bulbils from the leaf axils are used in the treatment of intestinal disorders. The dried and powdered flowers are used as a poultice for bruises, cuts etc.

Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Other

Rating:

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Prefers an open free-draining humus-rich loamy soil with its roots in the shade and its head in the sun. Requires a light soil. Is this species lime-tolerant?. Plants prefer a position that s moist in the summer but dry in the winter. Stem rooting, the bulbs should be planted 20 - 25cm deep. Said to be very difficult in cultivation, this species tolerates temperatures down to about -3°c. It grows well at Kew but is not hardy everywhere. Self-sterile, the type species does not set seed. It is believed that this species is either of hybrid origin or it is a garden form of the true wild species L. brownii colchesteri. Wils.. It is the sub-species colchesteri that is used medicinally. The flowers have a soft sweet fragrance. This fragrance is more pronounced in the variety 'Viridulum'. The plant does not come into growth until late spring. It should be protected against slugs at this time since if the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour. The edible bulbs are occasionally sold in ethnic markets in San Francisco and are a common food item in China, where the plant is cultivated for edible and medicinal use. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is a bulb.

Propagating it: Seed - immediate epigeal germination. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. Should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people prefer to leave them in the seed pot until they die down at the end of their second years growth. This necessitates sowing the seed thinly and using a reasonably fertile sowing medium. The plants will also require regular feeding when in growth. Divide the young bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant. Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately. Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbs in early autumn. If they are kept in a warm dark place in a bag of moist peat, they will produce bulblets. These bulblets can be potted up and grown on in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out. Bulblets are formed on the stem just below the soil surface. These should be dug up in the autumn and replanted immediately, preferably in a cold frame for growing on until large enough to plant out into the garden.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

L. candidum. non L. L. odorum.