Lilium wallichianum

Lilium wallichianum is an Asian species of bulbous plants in the lily family native to the Indian Subcontinent and to Myanmar. It is native to India, as well as Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

Lilium wallichianum grows on slopes and grasslands at 1200 to 2000 m, and in moist shade 1100 to 2000 m elevation. The bulbs are stoloniferous, with new bulbs capable of appearing some distance from the parent plant. The green stem tinged with purple grows up to 2 m high. The leaves are scattered, dark green, linear to lanceolate and up to 25 cm long. Each stem bears up to four trumpet-shaped flowers, white to creamy-yellow, held horizontally and up to 20 cm across. A fairly difficult species to grow successfully in the garden, it requires a moist slightly acidic soil with excellent drainage. The species prefers light dappled shade and blooms very late in the season.

The species was named for Dr. Nathaniel Wallich (1786 – 1854), Danish plant hunter, botanist and physician.


 * Varieties
 * Lilium wallichianum var. neilgherrense (Wight) H.Hara - Nepal, Karnataka and Kerala in southern India
 * Lilium wallichianum var. wallichianum - Himalayas