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Liliaceae FAMILY

Cardiocrinum cordatum

Cardiocrinum cordatum

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitBulb
Growth—

Prefers a moist well-drained position in shade and a soil that is rich in leafmould[1, 2]. Requires a deep, very fertile humus-laden soil[3]. Prefers growing in woodland conditions[4, 2]. The dormant plant is in general hardy to about -10°c but it comes into growth very early in the year, sometimes in February, and the young growth is susceptible to frost damage[5, 2]. A monocarpic plant, the bulb takes about 7 years to reach flowering size but then dies after flowering. However, it produces a number of new bulblets at the base and can be propagated by these[1, 2]. These bulblets take 3 - 5 years to flower[2]. The flowers are sweetly scented[6]. When planting, only just cover the bulb with leafmould[1]. The bulb is very attractive to slugs, mice and voles and may require protection[2]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[3].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame in the autumn. The plant has delayed epigeal germination and will often germinate in the spring but can take up to 2 years especially if the seed is stored prior to being sown[7]. An alternative is to mix the seed with some moist leafmould and seal it in a plastic bag. Keep this at a temperature of 20°c for 3 weeks then pot up any seed that germinates and place the rest in a fridge for 4 - 5 weeks at 3 - 5°c before sowing in a warm place[8]. Seedlings should be grown on in pots in a shaded position in a cold frame or greenhouse for 3 - 4 years before planting them out in their permanent positions[8]. Bulblets are obtained from the base of the old plant after flowering. Pot up and plant out when well established. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Cardiocrinum+cordatum>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Growing Lilies. — Fox. D. · Croom Helm · 1985 ↩︎A lovely and very readable book dealing with the cultivation of the genus Lilium.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  4. [4]Hardy Bulbs.; Including Half-hardy Bulbs and Tuberous and Fiberous-rooted Plants — Grey. C. H. · Williams & Norgate. · 1938 · ISBN - ↩︎Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.
  5. [5]Bulbs — Phillips. R. and Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30253-1 ↩︎Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
  6. [6]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
  7. [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 2. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
  8. [8]Growing from Seed. Volume 3. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1989 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  9. [9]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  10. [10]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  11. [11]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.