Rhizomatous plants are wonderful: they produce beautiful flowers and are very easy to grow, as is the case with smelly lily. Although its last name can create a bad reputation, the truth is that it is a very interesting species for gardens and pots.
In fact, if you don't have a lot of experience with bulbous plants, with it you predict a good start 😉. Discover it.
Origin and characteristics
It is a perennial rhizomatous plant native to gallery forests found from the Azores Islands to Sicily, and from Great Britain to North Africa. Its scientific name is iris foetissima, although it is known as a smelly lily. It reaches a height of about 50cm, and produces green sword-shaped leaves., sprouting from a long rhizome.
The flowers appear in groups of up to 3, at the end of a 30-40cm floral scape. These are large, pale blue in color, and sprout from spring to summer. The fruits are red or yellow ovoid capsules.
What are their cares?
Image - Wikimedia / Paul hermans
If you want to have a copy, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:
- Location: it must be outside, in full sun or in semi-shade.
- Earth:
- Pot: with universal growing substrate mixed with 30% perlite.
- Garden: grows in somewhat loamy soils, rich in organic matter and with good drainage.
- Irrigation: it has to be watered 3 or 4 times a week in summer, and every 4 or 5 days the rest of the year. Do not get the leaves or flowers wet.
- Subscriber: from the beginning of spring to the end of summer, it can be paid with specific products for bulbous plants following the indications specified on the product packaging, or with ecological fertilizers once a month.
- Multiplication: by seeds and division of rhizomes in spring.
- Rusticity: resists cold and frost down to -12ºC.
Enjoy your stinky lily!