Southern Swamp Lily
Crinum americanum (LILIACEAE)
Planting and Growing Southern Swamp Lily
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow southern swamp lily in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of southern swamp lily
- Season of bloom and planting time for southern swamp lily
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for southern swamp lily
- When, how deep, and where to plant southern swamp lily
- How to plant southern swamp lily
- Watering, fertilizing, care and pests or diseases of southern swamp lily
- Landscape and indoor uses of southern swamp lily
- Comments about southern swamp lily and its features
Growing Southern Swamp Lily
Spring bulb. Deciduous. Stands to 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall. Swordlike, arching, long green leaves.
Closely related species with similar care needs include Spider lily, Crinum asiaticum; hardy crinum, Crinum bulbispermum; and Crinum X amarcrinum ‘Milk-and-Wine’ hybrids.
(The Crinum X amarcrinum hybrids are trans-species crosses between a True Amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna) and various Crinum-family plants (Crinum moorei, Crinum powelii, or other species in the Crinum family.)
Southern Swamp Lily Planting and Care Guide
Flowers
Spring–summer. Pink, white. Multiple flared, trumpet-shaped, star-petaled, fragrant flowers, 4–5 in. (10–13 cm) long, atop tall stalks.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 7–11; ground hardy, zones 8–11.
Soil Type and Fertility
Very moist soil or, in water features, marginal sites. Fertility: Rich–average. 5.5–6.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Autumn in full sun, zones 9–11; spring, zones 7–8. Space 18 in. (45 cm) apart, with neck slightly above soil level or, in water features, submerged to 6 in. (15 cm) deep.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep very moist. Fertilize during growth. Mulch, zones 8–9. Protect from frost. Propagate by offsets, seed.
Lifting and Storing
Dark, 50–60°F (10–16°C), in porous container of dampened peat moss.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, beds, borders, containers in meadow, water, woodland gardens or water feature margins. Deer, rodent resistant.