Milk and Wine Lilies

 

 

Milk and wine lilies are the quintessential pass-a-long plants. They can be seen happily growing in all sorts of uncared for situations like old homesites and along road sides where soil has been added. my brother found a huge clump in the back pasture and brought them in asking what they were. Never fear hurting your clump by dividing it. They multiply rapidly and if you give to a friend, you multiply your joy. They are Crinium lilies and belong to the Amaryllis family.
One did die in my care once, but I think it may have been where it was planted. It was under the drip of the house where water cascades off during any rain. I think too much water going into the crown of the plant rotted it during the winter. Other than keeping water out of the crown of the bulbs, the only other suggestion is full sun. They will grow in partial shade (in fact new bulblets need this shade. They get it naturally by living in the shadow of the mature members of the clump).My reading recommended sandy soil, but I can personally attest that clay is not a problem.
Milk and wine lilies can grow as far north as zone 7, but they are old standbys in the south.
They are fragrant and make good cut flowers in deep water.
The gardener who grew the ones in these pictures deserves a gold star for this planting. The white and rose color of the lilies make a perfect foil for the red Japanese maple. I was just passing by and was so struck by the beautiful combo that I had to stop.