Description

Crinums are highly ornamental and beautiful flowering bulbs, easily grown and fairly hardy except in the coldest districts or wet locations. The bulb produces up to 10 large bell shaped flowers of scented pale pink and white on a solid stem up to 1metre tall. The large, bold almost evergreen leaves are about a metre long but look rather untidy after flowering. It is a very easy plant to grow, flowering reliably despite neglect. Good plants for the milder climates, they look well in flower against a background of agapanthus or other summer flowering bulbs. Crinums are quite suitable for container growing.

Cultivation

Bulbs should be planted in an open, sunny position in rich, moist soil with plenty of organic matter. Plant the bulb 30 to 50cm apart making sure the rounded part of the bulb is buried but that the long, narrow neck is above ground level. Crinums are reasonably drought resistant, but generally require plenty of moisture which will in turn make them pull themselves deeper into the soil to maintain that supply in very dry seasons. They are tender to frost and so need to be either grown with some protection in mild frost prone areas or in containers that can be brought indoors in winter. Provide protection from caterpillars, snails and slugs.