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Liliaceae FAMILY

Cardiocrinum giganteum

Cardiocrinum giganteum

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
1/5

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]. 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 scent the surrounding area with their rich sweet perfume[5]. 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[6]. 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[7]. 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[7]. 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+giganteum>

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]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.
  6. [6]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.
  7. [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 3. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1989 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  8. [8]Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). — Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. · Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. · 1986 · ISBN - ↩︎Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]Plants and People of Nepal — Manandhar. N. P. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 2002 · ISBN 0-88192-527-6 ↩︎Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.