Tiger Lily - Lilium lancifolium ($2 per bulb)

Lilium lancifolium is native to Asia, including Japan and much of China, and is one of many plants for which the common name “Tiger Lily” is used. Widely planted in ornamental gardens throughout the world, it has escaped cultivation in Europe and North America, where it can be seen in ditches, fields, and along fences. We offer the double flowering variety “flore pleno” which seems even more vigorous and has a larger bulb than the other available varieties. At $2 per bulb, it is a great way to start a beautiful perennial edible garden. Ships in the fall only.

Cultivation: Very vigorous, attractive, and easy to please. Best grown in full sun or part shade, in a rich loam, it will spread rapidly. The stems are covered in small bulbils in the Fall, each of which can produce a new plant. Transplant dormant bulbs in the Fall.

Food preparation: Best used in soups and stews, the attractive, sweet, almost pure white, onion-sized bulb is a nice addition to Western recipes, especially broth-based soups, and a common ingredient in Asian cuisine. Look for Chinese and Japanese recipes, many of which also state that the bulb has calming, and lung-soothing properties.

Ethnobotany: This is another example of an Asian plant that is widely cultivated for food and commonly sold in grocery stores in that part of the world, but almost solely used as an ornamental in the West. Why not use it for both purposes and find new ways to enjoy this beautiful, vigorous lily?