Lots of lilies are in bloom now, announcing the arrival of spring. Growing them in your garden can encourage your appreciation of our subtle seasonal change. Many members of the large Liliaceae family are well suited to our climate including the Barbados lily, Queen Emma lily, daylily and zephyr lily. Consider growing some members of this lovely family in beds or in mass plantings to beautify your landscape and welcome spring.
The beautiful Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum, with its fragrant, white trumpet-shaped flowers, is for sale everywhere now, but it is not a tropical plant. Native to temperate Japan, it can only be grown here with special care. If you enjoy one this year, you may want to know how to preserve it so that it will bloom for you again next year.
Once the flower has died and the stalk has dried, you can remove the stalk. At this point you can take the bulb from its pot and transplant it into your garden or repot it. Be sure to add some amendments or finished compost to the potting hole and augment it with a little fertilizer high in phosphorus and potassium to encourage root growth and eventual flowering. You can’t let the bulb dry out or it will die. Regular watering and adding mulch around the plant can help keep the bulb from dying. Be careful not to drown it in too much water, but keep the soil moist (not wet) and add a balanced slow release fertilizer every few months.
Planting it in a spot that gets full sun for part of the day is best. Since they are native to temperate climates, they are accustomed to a chill for part of the year. To mimic the chill, you can put plants in the refrigerator for at least a month. To time their blooms, remove them from refrigeration about 120 days before you want flowers. Without a chill to vernalize them, they will likely bloom in summer, here in Hawaii.
The orange Barbados lily is blooming now in open areas or gardens around West Hawaii. It is a member of the Amaryllis genus that grows well here. As days get longer and wetter, these lovely lilies are inspired to re-sprout and bloom. This genus contains more than 70 species in colors including white and pink as well as the orange one that seems ubiquitous here. Their lovely trumpet shapes and brilliant colors are a nice herald of spring for us.
The Barbados lily is native to the Caribbean and adapts easily to our tropical climate. Once the blooms have faded, you can cut the stalk and separate the bulbs to plant in pots or around your property for next year’s blooms. They prefer sunny locations and can tolerate some dry periods during their dormancy.
Daylilies are another member of the Lily family that can be easily grown here. A member of the Hemerocallis genus, they originated in temperate climates in Eastern Asia. Like other lilies, their heavy bloom period is spring into summer.
Daylily buds are arranged on a stalk and each opens into a lovely trumpet shaped flower for a single day. Nearly 20,000 cultivars exist in a variety of colors including black, red and bright orange as well as the more common pastels. Daylilies grow from tuberous fleshy roots that enlarge annually making them good candidates for propagation by root division in the fall. They make lovely bedding specimens or mass plantings that can thrive here with minimal care.
The Queen Emma lily, Crinum augustum, is an attractive member of the Crinum genus. Like other spider lilies, it is a drought tolerant and fragrant lily. It is named for Hawaii’s Queen Emma Kaleleonalani, the wife of King Kamehameha IV who reportedly cultivated this, her favorite flower, at her cottage on Kauai. A native of the Seychelles Islands, this tropical beauty gets large clusters of white lilies with purple buds, bracts and stamens. It can reach five feet tall and just as wide in ideal growing conditions.
Most spider lilies can be propagated from the large bulbous seeds that form at the base of spent flowers but Queen Emma is a sterile hybrid that must be propagated vegetatively. To produce more plants, you need to divide the roots or remove young offsets from the base of the original plant. Young plants can tolerate poor soil, some drought conditions and partial shade. This is a hardy member of the lily family.
If you miss seeing crocus flowers that appear in early spring on the mainland, you might want to consider planting the zephyr or rain lily. Though some species in the Zephyranthes genus flower in yellow, coral and pink, the white Zephyranthes candida is the easiest to find locally. Their short, deep green, grass-like leaf blades contrast nicely with the white flowers making a dramatic display as a ground cover in mass plantings. They can spread on their own or you can dig up clumps and move them around. Though they bloom nearly year round, they are true to their name and inspired to bloom by rainy weather.
Potted lilies are currently blooming and readily available at local nurseries and big box stores. If you want to purchase some unusual varieties go to www.lavalilies.com or www.daylilynursery.com to see photos of their offerings. The lilies they sell are all well adapted to our tropical climate.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living on an organic farm in Captain Cook.
Gardening Events
Friday: “Kona Coffee Expo” from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. at the Old Airport Pavilion in Kailua-Kona with Scott Enright from the Department of Agriculture, representatives from UH CTAHR and other speakers, and several break-out sessions. Equipment, products and services reps on site plus coffee tasting, food and music. Free and open to the public. Contact event coordinator Aesha Shapiro at 443-3884 or aesharoseevents@gmail.com for more information.
Saturday: “Growing Vanilla” from 10-11 a.m. at the Kailua-Kona Public Library with Guy Cellier from The Vanillerie. Free talk on growing and pollinating vanilla orchids as well as processing tips. For more information, call the library at 327-4327.
Saturday: “Coffee Roasting Workshops” at 8-10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Hala Tree. 90 minute workshops on roasting techniques. Reservations required. For reservations and more information contact kenaicoffee@aol.com
Farmer Direct Markets
Wednesday: “Sunset Farmers Market” 2-6 p.m. in the HPM parking lot at 74-5511 Luhia Street in Kailua-Kona (across from Target)
Wednesday: “Ho’oulu Farmers Market” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sheraton Kona Resort &Spa at Keauhou Bay
Friday: “Pure Kona Market” 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook
Saturday: “Keauhou Farmers Market” 8 a.m. to noon at Keauhou Shopping Center
“Kamuela Farmer’s Market” from 7 a.m. to noon at Pukalani Stables
Sunday: “Pure Kona Green Market” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook
“Hamakua Harvest” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hwy 19 and Mamane Street in Honoka’a
Plant Advice Lines
Anytime: konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Tuesdays &Thursdays: 9 a.m. to noon at UH-CES in Kainaliu – 322-4892
Mon., Tues. &Fri: 9 a.m. to noon at UH CES at Komohana in Hilo 981-5199 or himga@hawaii.edu