Morning Star Lily
Lilium concolor

Family: Liliaceae

What it is like

Lilium concolor is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Scrub in pockets of humus on carboniferous limestone and in heavy limey soil, 1500 - 2200 metres. Moist places in forests, thickets, moist meadows, grassy slopes and sunny grassland.

E. Asia - China

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Bulb - cooked. The bulb is up to 35mm in diameter. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). Young leaves - cooked. Flowers. No more details are given.

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

Medicine

Rating: 2

The bulb is carminative, expectorant, pectoral, sedative and tonic. It is taken internally in the treatment of bronchial complaints. The flowers invigorate the blood. They are poulticed onto sores and boils.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

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:

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. Prefers an acid sandy soil but also succeeds on heavy soils. Plants are lime tolerant. Requires a sheltered position if grown outdoors, doing well on a rock garden, but it is best grown in a greenhouse Stem rooting, the bulbs should be planted 7 - 10 cm deep. Early to mid autumn is the best time to plant out the bulbs in cool temperate areas, in warmer areas they can be planted out as late as late autumn. A very ornamental plant, it is cultivated for its edible bulb in Japan. The plant should be protected against rabbits and slugs in early spring. If the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour.

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.

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

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

L. pulchellum.