Jackie Thomason

If you are tired of dealing with plants that are difficult to grow and maintain, then you might consider the Hot Country Crinum, or Crinum Lily as it is more commonly known. This plant has a reputation for being junkyard tough and having the resilience of a bulldog. It is native to Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. The Crinum Lily thrives in the southern warm weather of East Texas. It is not a lily but is a perennial bulb from the Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis) family. The scientific name is Crinum astiaticum.

A few years ago, I was given a couple of Crinum Lilies from one of my aunts at a family reunion. I took them home and laid them along the back fence because I wanted my wife to approve the location. Something distracted me and I forgot about the Crinum Lilies. Several months later while doing yard work I discovered the Crinum Lilies and was amazed that they were still alive even though they had been neglected. I planted them and they responded well in our landscape.

The Crinum Lily is known in the South as a pass-along plant because of its hardiness. The next time you are driving through the countryside of East Texas, look and see if you can find one in an old cemetery, in a bar ditch, or at an old homestead. The house may be gone the Crinum Lily will still be there.

Crinum Lilies grow to be 2-4 feet high and 2-4 ft wide. They have green strap-like foliage that flows with elegance. Out of the foliage a shoot will extend up and flower in mid to late summer. The flowers are usually white, pink, or red/burgundy (wine and milk) in color. The fragrance of the flowers is very pleasant. That is probably the reason you find them planted along the porches of many country homes. The Crinum has a long bloom season and is quite showy when in bloom. There are other uses for the Crinum in the landscape as they can be planted in small groups for mass planting, planted to make a border, or simply put in your butterfly garden. The flower of the Crinum attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths.

The Crinum requires full sun or at least six hours of sunlight, but it can tolerate part shade. The soil condition preferred would be well-drained, but the Crinum is very forgiving and can tolerate many different varieties. It can even tolerate wet conditions, making it an excellent choice to plant near water. One can propagate the Crinum Lily by dividing up bulbs. Just be forewarned that a single bulb can be as large as 10 to 20 pounds, so you may want to dig up and divide the outer-most bulbs.

This year in my Master Gardener internship I was part of the crew whose task it was to dig up and divide the bulbs of an old “wine and milk” Crinum Lily in Frankston, TX. It took five men to dig up and retrieve the bulbs. We separated 20 to 30 bulbs from this single lily.

There are many positive features of a Crinum Lily, but unfortunately there are some negatives as well. This plant does not like cold weather and should be taken indoors if planted in containers.

If you choose to leave the plant in the ground, try to cover it or at least let the once green foliage (now brown and unattractive) act as a mulch to insulate during the winter. Remember to leave the green foliage on all bulbs until it turns brown. This is important because, as long as the foliage is green, it is storing up energy in the bulb for next year’s flowers.

In addition, there are several insects that are pests to the Crinum Lily: spider mites, grasshoppers, slugs, mealy bugs, and snails. Also, powdery mildew may appear on the leaves in warm, humid conditions. Finally, the most negative feature is that all parts of the Crinum Lily are poisonous. If you have a pet that likes to chew on leaves, the Crinum Lily may not be the best choice.

I think the positives for the far outweigh the negatives when it comes to the Crinum Lily. Remember, it is a southern beauty and was here way before we got here and will be here long after we are gone.