swamp spider lily Crinum americanum (native) - "Swamp Lily"

swamp spider lily Crinum americanum (native) - "Swamp Lily"The Crinum americanum is a native lily that is better known as a "Swamp Lily" or "String Lily." It is native to the southern United States in zones 8 11. The white spidery blooms begin to appear around late April early May, and if it is planted in the right conditions, can continue into October! They make large clumps and showy displays in settings that are often too hostile to other bulbs and plants. They produce multiple softball size blooms atop

The Crinum americanum is a native lily that is better known as a "Swamp Lily" or "String Lily." It is native to the southern United States in zones 8-11. The white spidery blooms begin to appear around late April/early May, and if it is planted in the right conditions, can continue into October! They make large clumps and showy displays in settings that are often too hostile to other bulbs and plants. They produce multiple softball-size blooms atop strong stalks amid dark green foliage. In pond areas, they look like islands of white color!

The "Swamp lily" is a one-of-a-kind and rarely seen in gardens. As gardeners, we are always looking for something to make our garden beautiful yet connected to our environment as well. The "Swamp Lily" offers a unique opportunity to satisfy both of those goals. As a native though, we want to be very clear on something. Natives like to be in specific conditions.

Blooms: When the "Swamp lily" blooms, the white "spiders" sit on tall, narrow stems. The dark green stems usually stand about 2 feet tall, but they can grow up to 3 feet tall depending on the conditions. The lily-like white blooms usually appear in April, and as long as the bulb stays damp, it will continue to produce flowers through September. Each petal is several inches long that bend outward like a star showing their pinkish stamens. Each stalk produces 2-6 blooms which can be cut off and used indoors if desired, and the white blooms cluster to create a softball-size clump. The "Swamp lily" has a light sweet fragrance.

Planting: This bulb does not do well planted in a pot. The "Swamp lily" performs best planted in full sun, but it can tolerate a little shade. Remember, it does well in zone 11! It does not have to be planted in water, but it thrives in moist to wet soil. It can be planted directly in shallow water (just cover the roots) or in very damp soil.

Regular garden bed: If you are trying to grow this unique bulb in a regular garden bed, you'll want to keep it well-watered throughout the summer and all year long because this lets it continue to grow and keep producing blooms. This bulb prefers the soil to be consistently moist. It would benefit from rich, organic soil that will keep the soil from drying out. It can be planted near a water feature or rain garden to naturally get the moisture that it needs. Drying out can stress this bulb. It would do well if you have an area that is slightly lower-lying, or you can water it well often.

Resilient: The "Swamp lily" is a hardy plant that can grow easily in zones 8-11. This bulb can be planted in 7b with some extra care and winter protection. WARNING: Native flowers and bulbs can be hard to adapt to modern landscapes. Please note that the native habitat for this bulb is an environment in which it is wet all year long.

Foliage: The green straping leaves are 2-4 feet long and several inches wide.

This is a sampling of the bulbs that are offered.

You will receive small to medium bulbs in this special offer. The bulbs were just harvested from their wet spring soil so be prepared for them to look this way. The best thing that you can do is to plant them as soon as possible in conditions similar to their native environment - somewhere wet and boggy right away. We know that this means digging in the mud, but you are doing this for the bulbs and for the beautiful stand that you will have in the future!