Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Crinum Lily
Crinum × powellii
From a massive bulb rise tall stalks topped with clusters of fragrant pink trumpets, the crinum lily's late-summer signature.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–11
2–5 ft · 0.6–1.5 m
Overview
The crinum lily grows from a massive bulb, a swollen base the size of a fist or larger that anchors the whole plant. From it spill long, strappy leaves, arching ribbons of green that fan out into a broad clump. A member of the Amaryllidaceae, it later sends up thick stalks that carry umbels of fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers from late summer into early autumn. The plant lives so long that old clumps outlast their gardeners, the origin of the name cemetery plant.
The flowers are the showpiece. Each one flares open into a trumpet of soft pink, and they cluster several to a stalk in a loose crown that lifts well above the foliage. The strappy leaves below stay thick and slightly fleshy, holding moisture that helps the plant ride out a wide temperature range, from about 25°F to 100°F (-4°C to 38°C), and return each year across zones 6 through 11.
Down at soil level, the bulb is the heart of it all. Large, firm, and long-lived, it stores the energy that drives those tall stalks and broad leaves, and it resents any digging that breaks its roots. Left whole and undisturbed, that bulb only swells with the years.
Care
The short version: give it full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil, keep it moist while it blooms, ease off the water in winter, and then leave the bulb undisturbed for years.
Light
Crinum opens the most trumpet flowers in full sun, though it grows in partial sun or light shade as well. The more sun the strappy clump catches, the more blooms top the stalks, while a little afternoon shade eases it where summers are fierce.
Water
Keep the soil moist while the buds swell and the flowers open so the trumpets do not shrivel, then ease off once the clump is established, since its fleshy leaves and bulb carry it through dry spells. Water sparingly in winter, because a cold, soggy bulb softens into rot.
Soil
Plant it in moist, rich, fertile loam, though crinum takes clay, sand, or heavy ground as long as water drains away from the bulb. Its roots accept a wide pH range, anywhere from 5.5 to 8.0.
Temperature
The thick bulb and fleshy leaves let this plant endure a span from about 25°F to 100°F (-4°C to 38°C). That toughness is why the same clump can hold its ground for years across zones 6 through 11.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor air suits the strappy foliage fine, so there is no number to track. Air moving through the clump matters more, since crowded, damp leaves develop the reddish fungal blotches that mar their green.
Feeding
A balanced general-purpose fertilizer through the spring and summer growing season keeps the leaves broad and the bulb fed. Feed it seasonally and let the bulb store what it needs.
Pruning
Cut away the spent flower stalks and any browned or damaged leaves, but let the strappy foliage die back on its own so the bulb pulls the energy back in. Stake the tall, flower-heavy stalks so a strong wind does not bend them to the ground.
Repotting
Crinum resents disturbance to its bulb and roots and is happiest left in place for years. Move it only when the clump grows so crowded that flowering fades, or when the fat bulbs start heaving up above the soil.
Size & spacing
A mature clump of strappy leaves stands 2 to 5 feet (60 to 150 cm) tall and spreads 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm) wide, a broad green fountain that needs space. Set it where that spread will not crowd its neighbors, since the bulb is best never moved.
When to plant
Crinum keeps a warm-season rhythm you can watch unfold. The bulbs go into the ground from April through late October, the strappy leaves and the clump fill out through spring and summer, and the trumpet flowers open from late summer into early autumn.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: April through late October
- Harvest: late summer to early autumn (August to September)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 6–11
Temperature: down to -23°C
Troubleshooting
Crinum is hardy enough that real trouble is rare, and most of what appears writes itself across the leaves or, at worst, the bulb. Watching the foliage closely lets you catch the first specks or spots before they spread. Match the look below, then act while it still helps.
A soft, browning bulb that smells and collapses
A bulb gone soft, brown, and foul-smelling at the base is bulb and root rot, set off by waterlogged soil over a wet winter or in poorly drained ground. The mushy tissue cannot firm up again, so the bulb is lifted, the rotted flesh cut away or discarded, and the drainage put right. Sparing winter water keeps the fleshy bulb firm and dry enough to last.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and stop overwatering
- Remove the bulb from soggy potting mix when planting potted specimens
- Discard severely rotted bulbs
Pale stippling and a bronze cast veiled in fine webbing
Leaves that turn stippled and bronze under a haze of fine webbing are marked by twospotted spider mites, which build up in hot, dry weather on a stressed plant. A strong jet of water knocks them off the leaf undersides, and insecticidal soap or horticultural oil clears the rest. Steady watering through dry spells keeps the foliage from drying into the stress they exploit.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage with a strong spray of water to dislodge mites
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil per label
- Improve airflow and avoid drought stress
Red to maroon spots and streaks down the leaves
Red to maroon spots and long lesions running down the leaves and flower stalks are red blotch, a fungus that takes hold where the foliage stays wet and the air sits still. The worst-blotched leaves are cut out, water goes to the base rather than over the leaves, and the clump is opened for airflow. The marks are mostly cosmetic, but they creep across the green if left.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy badly affected leaves
- Avoid overhead watering and improve spacing for airflow
- Apply an appropriate fungicide if severe
Torn, chewed leaves with ragged holes
Leaves chewed into ragged holes and torn edges are the work of eastern lubber grasshoppers and caterpillars, with slugs and snails rasping the foliage after dark. The larger insects come off by hand, and bait handles slugs where they feed. Clearing garden debris strips away the damp cover they shelter in by day.
Fix:
- Handpick grasshoppers, caterpillars, slugs, and snails
- Use slug or snail bait where appropriate
- Remove garden debris that shelters pests
Toxicity
Behind its handsome flowers, every part of the crinum lily is toxic, and the bulb most of all. The tissue holds lycorine and related alkaloids that bring on drooling, vomiting, and stomach upset, with tremors after a large dose. Keep the plant, and especially the fleshy dug-up bulbs, away from pets, livestock, and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that bites the strappy leaves or chews into a bulb drools, vomits, and develops diarrhea, with belly pain alongside. The fleshy bulb holds the most lycorine, so a dug-up bulb is the real danger.
Dogs Moderate
Dogs are usually the ones to dig up and gnaw the bulb, which brings on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. A large mouthful can lead to tremors, so keep planted bulbs out of reach.
Horses Moderate
A horse grazing the leaves grows dull and off its feed, with drooling, loose manure, and stomach pain. A large dose can bring on trembling, so fence the plants off.
Rabbits Toxic
The same alkaloids that sicken cats and dogs make crinum unsafe for rabbits, so drooling and gut upset follow a nibble of the foliage. Never let one reach the leaves or bulbs.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep can take in enough lycorine from the foliage to drool, scour, and grow weak. Fence the plants off from any grazing animals.
Birds Caution
Treat the bulb alkaloids as risky for birds, and keep poultry and pet birds from pecking the leaves or bulbs. Watch for drooping and gut upset if any is eaten.
People Caution
No part of crinum is food, and swallowing any of it brings on nausea, drooling, and vomiting, with tremors after a large amount. The sap from cut stems and bulbs can irritate skin, so wash up after handling them.
Plant sap may irritate skin; wash hands after handling bulbs or cut stems. Keep bulbs out of reach of pets and children.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Crinum varies widely in flower color and form, from swamp natives to old garden selections. These are the ones you are most likely to see named.
Crinum × powellii
This hybrid lifts umbels of 8 to 10 fragrant, trumpet-shaped pink flowers on stalks reaching 3 to 5 feet, the petals flaring open from late summer into early autumn.
Crinum americanum
The native Southern swamp lily grows in wet soil and even standing water, its white pink-blushed flowers fringed with long purple stamens above acidic ground.
Milk and Wine Lily
This old garden crinum is named for its petals striped in white and deep wine-red.
Ellen Bosanquet
A long-loved cultivar grown for its deep rose-red flowers and strong fragrance.
How to propagate
Crinum multiplies through offset bulbs, the small bulblets that swell up around the base of the parent, and that is far the easiest way to make more, since it dislikes disturbance and is slow from seed.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Spring through fall during active growth · 1 to 2 years to bloom
The easiest way is to lift the offset bulblets that swell around the parent bulb during the spring-to-fall growing season, once their leafy tops reach about 12 inches. Because crinum forms a massive, long-lived bulb that hates disturbance, divide only when you must, and give each new bulb the year or two it takes to bloom.
DivisionModerate
Spring through fall · 1 to 2 years to re-establish and bloom
To make more from a big established clump, lift the whole mass of bulbs during the growing season and prise them apart. Expect the divisions to sit quietly for a season, since crinum resents root disturbance, and allow a year or two for the bulbs to re-establish and bloom again.
SeedDemanding
When fresh seed is available · More than 5 years to reach blooming stage
Raising crinum from fresh seed is a slow business, with more than 5 years between sowing and the first trumpet flowers. Most growers skip it and raise new plants from the offset bulbs instead.
Myths
Crinum lilies cause fatal kidney failure in cats like true lilies do.
Despite the trumpet flowers that echo a true lily, crinum is not one. It belongs to the Amaryllidaceae, so its alkaloids cause a stomach upset rather than the kidney failure that true lilies and daylilies cause in cats. The danger is real but gastrointestinal, not the deadly kidney crisis of a Lilium.
Crinum bulbs need frequent digging, dividing, and repotting to bloom well.
The truth runs the other way. Crinum swells a huge, long-lived bulb that dislikes being disturbed, and it often blooms best when that bulb sits untouched for years. Leave the clump alone and it rewards you with more flowers, not fewer.