Crinum x Powellii “Alba” – Swamp Lily
Fragrant white funnel-shaped flowers in umbels rising above a tuft of narrow strap-shaped basal leaves.
Pictured above, as well as the white form, is the standard C. x Powelli and a wine red variety that I am taking to be “Ellen Bosanquet”.
Habit:
C. x Powellii typically produces a clump of narrow, strap-shaped green leaves to about 3 feet. A naked flower spike rises to 4-5 feet, topped with umbels of 8-10 showy flowers (each up to 4” diameter) which bloom in succession from mid summer to early autumn. Leaves are evergreen in frost free winter climates – in our personal garden in Motueka some of our plants are entirely evergreen, even through the cold snap we have in winter 2022. My Ellen Bosanquet does brown off a little over winter – Is its site a little more exposed or is this variety a little more tender? Over time the bulbs will become large, up to 20cm across.
Origins:
This is a hybrid of garden origin resulting from a cross between two South African Crinums, namely, C. bulbispermum (orange river lily) and C. moorei (natal lily). These both come from South Africa. Crinum is in the Amaryllidaceae family. In the wild they are found in seasonally moist areas, including marshes, swamps, depressions and along the sides of streams and lakes. The hybrid name honors C. B. Powell (1830-1904), Irish/English businessman and avid gardener who developed and introduced this bulb around 1858.
Soil / Aspect:
This plant does not require a moist site, as its wild origins might imply, but it is probably best spared the hottest / sunniest locations in a coastal Tasman garden. It is best given some shade , though full shade will reduce flowering. Plants will need some watering in summer whilst they establish, but mature plants seem to be reasonably drought tolerant.
Maintenance:
I can find no reference to any significant pest or disease problems. Plants do not like being moved, however they seem to flower well in a variety of situations. They do produce offsets and these can be separated to produce new plants. However, this plant is probably left to its own devices and it will become an attractive feature bearing many flower spikes over the summer months