Cardiocrinum giganteum - Giant Himalayan lily

Plant the bulblets in autumn, just below the surface of well-drained deep soil. Plant in a shady exposure. Keep the soil moist during dry periods, but avoid any stagnant moisture. Cardiocrinum plants do not tolerate heat and drought well. Mulch annually with leaf compost, reinforced in winter with a thick layer of mulch. Hardy to cold, the bulbs can be left in the ground. Be aware that cardiocrinum is susceptible to lily beetles.

These lilies are semelparous: their exhausted bulb dies after flowering. However, their numerous bulblets allow for the perpetuation of their cultivation, but each bulblet will take at least 5 years to flower again. Therefore, you may not have a flowering every year.

The flowering of a semelparous plant, whether it is a cardiocrinum or agave, is by no means an exact science. It can happen quickly or take many years before seeing an inflorescence.