Corn Lily
Ixia species and hybrids (IRIDACEAE)
Planting and Growing Corn Lily
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow corn lily in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of corn lily
- Season of bloom and planting time for corn lily
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for corn lily
- When, how deep, and where to plant corn lily
- How to plant corn lily
- Watering, fertilizing, care and pests or diseases of corn lily
- Landscape and indoor uses of corn lily
- Comments about corn lily and its features
Growing Corn Lily
Spring corm. Deciduous. About 30 species. Stands 6–36 in. (15–90 cm) tall. Grasslike, short to long, bright green leaves. Native to South Africa.
Though commonly called a lily, corn lily are part of the broad Iris family.
The most commonly available Ixia cultivars are hybrids of Ixia maculata.
Corn Lily Planting and Care Guide
Flowers
Late spring–summer. Orange, pink, red, white, yellow. Multiple open, 6-petaled, sometimes fragrant flowers, 1/2–1‑1/2‑in. (12–38‑mm) wide, with dark, contrasting centers, in dense spikes.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 4–10; ground hardy, zones 7–9.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Average. 6.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Autumn in full sun, zones 9–10; spring, zones 4–8. Space 3–4 in. (75–100 mm) apart, 2–3 in. (50–75 mm) deep.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep soil moist during growth. Fertilize until buds form. Mulch, zones 7–8. Lift, zones 4–6. Propagate by cormels in autumn, seed in spring.
Lifting and Storing
Dark, 50–60°F (10–16°C), in porous container of dampened peat moss or in pot of dry soil.
About This Species
Good choice for beds, borders, containers, drifts, mixed plantings in cottage, natural, small-space gardens and landscapes. Good for cutting. Naturalizes.