Flower
Common Name: coral lily
Type: Bulb
Family: Liliaceae
Native Range: Northern China, North Korea, Mongolia, Siberia
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 0.75 to 1.50 feet
Bloom Time: June to July
Bloom Description: Coral red
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part/filtered sun. Best in consistently moist, humusy soils. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Mulch helps keep root zone cool. Plant bulbs 4-5” deep in fall. Although bulbs are somewhat short-lived (2-4 years), these lilies will usually remain in the garden through self-seeding.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Lilium pumilum, commonly known as coral lily, is native to grassy mountainous areas of Siberia and China. Nodding, turk’s cap-type, waxy, coral-scarlet lily flowers (to 2” wide) with sharply recurved tepals appear in 7-20 (typically 10)-flowered racemes atop stems rising 1–1.5’ tall. Blooms in early to mid summer. Flowers are fragrant. Narrow linear grass-like leaves (to 4” long) are whorled around the stems. Synonymous with and formerly known as Lilium tenuifolium.
Genus name comes from the Latin name meaning lily.
Specific epithet means dwarf.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Borders, cottage gardens or meadows. Best grouped or massed.