Desert Lily

Medicinal Uses

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root | Edible Uses: Bulb - raw or cooked[2, 71, 161, 177, 257]. A garlic flavour[270]. The bulbs can be baked or boiled[257]. Quite large, the bulb is up to 5cm in diameter[71] and is found up to 50cm below soil level[245].

Cultivation

Requires a very well-drained soil in a sunny position[200]. Plants are intolerant of temperatures below freezing, especially if this is coupled with wetness[200]. The bulbs like plenty of moisture when in growth in the spring[188] but must be kept dry when they are dormant[200]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it is best grown in a cold greenhouse or treated as a half-hardy annual[1], though they can succeed outdoors in very sheltered parts of south-west Britain[245]. Plants are very difficult to induce into flower in Britain and are best grown in a greenhouse in almost pure sand with some leafmold. Water should be withheld in the summer[42]. The flowers open in the evening and scent the air around them[245]. Bulbs are often found at a great depth in the soil[200].

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Dry sandy flats and gentle slopes below 750 metres in deserts and creosote bush scrub[71].