Lily (Lilium candidum)

The flowers of the Lilium candidum are white

Image - Wikimedia / Maja Dumat

El lilies candidum It is a plant with large flowers, capable of bringing joy to any corner. Its size is ideal to be grown both in pots and in the garden, alone or together with other species of lilies.

In addition, it is quite easy to take care of, since it does not need much to always be perfect. So if you want to know more about her, then we are going to present it to you.

Origin and characteristics

View of the Lilium candidum

Image - Wikimedia / Habib M'henni

Known as lily, Saint Anthony lily or lily, it is a vivacious, herbaceous and bulbous plant originally from Syria and Palestine. It develops vertical stems up to a meter in height, from which leaves about 15-20cm long, green and somewhat leathery, sprout. At the end of these flowers appear in summer, which are 5-6cm large, white, hermaphroditic and fragrant. The fruit is a dry capsule and contains numerous small pale brown seeds.

How do you take care of yourself?

If you want to have a copy, we recommend you take care of it as follows:

Location

It is a bulbous plant that must be outdoors, either in full sun or in semi-shade (but it must receive more light than shade for it to flourish).

Earth

The flower of the Lilium candidum is white

As you can have in the garden or in pots, the earth must not be the same:

  • Garden: grows in fertile and well-drained soils. Tolerates limestone.
  • Flower pot: use universal growing medium (for sale here). To improve drainage you can mix it with perlite in equal parts (on sale here) or even put a first layer of clay (for sale here).

Irrigation

It is a plant that does not resist drought, but neither does waterlogging. The ideal is to check the humidity of the soil before watering, for example by inserting a thin wooden stick. If it comes out practically clean when you extract it, it will be time to water.

Use rainwater if possible, or without too much lime. If you can't get it, fill a container with tap water, let it sit overnight, and use it the next day.

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Besides water, all plants need food. With the exception of carnivores, which are responsible for their traps to hunt their food, the rest have roots that fulfill the function of absorbing nutrients from the soil. And the lily is no exception.

Therefore, in spring and especially summer, a little fertilizer must be added once a month or every 15 days, such as guano in liquid form (for sale here) following the instructions specified on the package.

Pruning

You don't need it. You just have to remove the dry parts using scissors previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol.

Multiplication

The seeds of the Lilium candidum are small

El lilies candidum multiplies by seeds in spring and by bulbs in winter / early spring. Let us know how to proceed in each case:

Seeds

The step by step to follow is as follows:

  1. First, a seedling tray is filled with universal substrate, and watered thoroughly.
  2. Then, a maximum of two seeds are placed in each socket, and they are covered with a thin layer of substrate.
  3. Finally, the seedling tray is taken outside, to an area where it is light but not in direct sunlight.

So will germinate in about 3-5 weeks.

Bulbs

Over the years, bulbs sprout from the bulbs after flowering and fruit ripening. These they can be separated from the mother plant when they are easily manipulated in size, that is, that they measure at least 1-2cm in diameter (although it is recommended that they be larger).

Once done, they will only have to be planted in pots with universal substrate or in other corners of the garden.

Plagues and diseases

View of Lilium candidum in bloom

With regard to pests, it is very sensitive to aphids, which are very small insects, about 0,5cm, green, yellow, brown or black depending on the species. They feed on the cells of the leaves and flowers, which can have problems opening, but fortunately they fight well with yellow sticky traps (for sale here) or diatomaceous earth (for sale here).

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Aphid

And if we talk about diseases, the botrytis it is your potential enemy. Its appearance is caused by excess moisture in the earth, so that by controlling the risks it can be prevented. If it is already sick, you have to treat it with fungicides, such as powdered sulfur (for sale here).

Rusticity

It resists frosts of up to -7ºC. If you live in a colder area, keep the bulbs in a greenhouse or indoors.

What is the meaning of the lily?

Finally, you should know that the white color of the flowers has been associated with the pure. For Christians, lilies are the representation of virginal love, hence it is one of the most seen on days as important as Valentine's.

Where to buy?

Lilium candidum is sold in nurseries and garden stores, and also here:

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