An Unusual Giant Himalayan Lily

Sue Milliken & Kelly Dodson invited me out to their nursery, Far Reaches Farm, last week to photograph their Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense, the giant Himalayan lily, in full bloom.  If you are not familiar with these towering, 15 feet tall beauties, they grow in shady woodland gardens and blossom up and down their floriferous tall stalks with many large, white, highly fragrant, lily flowers with streaks of burgundy in their throats.  Once they flower, the plant dies—monocarpic plants.  Offsets of bulbs will grow on to flower in a few years.  Grown from seed, the plant will bloom in seven years.  Planting seeds are an investment in the future!

Nevertheless, the main reason I drove up to Port Townsend in Washington State, where the nursery resides, is that one of their towering lilies was blooming pretty in pink, a pleasant surprise for Kelly and Sue, who carefully selected their seed from the best plants.  They are planning to propagate this one, but we won’t be seeing it offered for a few more years.  Here’s a sneak preview of these unusual pink flowers, which I hope will be available in the not too distant future. 

And now for the pink one:

Comments

[Les]

I have always wanted one of these for my garden. I wonder how they take southern heat and humidity - any clues?

[Donna Black]

Taking so long to bloom makes the occasion more thrilling. I would love to have something like that in my woodland garden. I love a garden with tall things. It gives a feeling of being totally immersed in flora.
Donna

[JeanneK]

Nice pink with green ribbing through the middle.

But I do like the original. The taller the better in my opinion. I agree with you, Donna, about being immersed in flora.

[sally anne sadler]

OH my god, those are amazing. I am a gardener in Seattle. Love your site(s)

Are the lilies hardy here?

[Gardening Seeds]

OH Jesus !!!! what the hell is that plant!!!!