Panther Lily, Leopard lily, Pitkin Marsh lily, Vollmer's lilyShasta lily, Wiggins' lily
Lilium pardalinum
Family: Liliaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Orange. Main Bloom Time: Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.
Lilium pardalinum is a BULB growing to 2 m (6ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, butterflies. 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 can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 2
Where it is found
Stream banks and springy places to 2000 metres, forming large colonies near the coastal range.
South-western N. America - California to Oregon.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Bulb - cooked. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 2
Landscape Uses: Border, Container, Massing, Seashore, Specimen. Ornamental. Hardy bulb. US native to moist meadows and streambeds.
How it is grown
Succeeds in almost any soil that is moist but not water-logged. Prefers a wet soil on a slope or a well-drained soil with a high water table. Tolerates lime. Succeeds in full sun but rapidly deteriorates if grown in deep shade. Fairly wind resistant but is best grown in a sheltered position. Very ornamental and easily grown, the plant is rhizomatous, forming clumps. The plant increases rapidly by division, each bulb producing 5 new bulbs per year. 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 variable plant, it is divided into a number of sub-species. 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. Special Features: North American native, Naturalizing, Attracts butterflies, Suitable for cut flowers, Fragrant flowers. Heat Zone: 8-5.
Propagating it: Seed - autumnal hypogeal germination. Best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in spring. Stored seed will require a warm/cold/warm cycle of stratification, each period being about 2 months long. Grow on in cool shady conditions. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people 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 in 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. Bulbils - gather in late summer when they start to fall off the stems and pot up immediately. Grow on in a greenhouse until large enough to go outside.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Bog Garden;
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet