Plant Name

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Anthericum liliago

Liliago means lily-like or lily-carrier.

Common Name

St. Bernard's Lily

Soil

Sand or Chalk

Sun Aspect

Full Sun

Soil Moisture

Dry

Plant Type / Alpine/Alpine

Herbaceous Perennial/ Alpine

Height x Spread in feet

2-3 x 1

Evergreen Foliage

Clump of narrow radical Grey-green leaves to 12 inches long with tuberous roots

Flower Colour in Month(s). Fruit

Up to 30, six-tepalled, flat star-shaped, White flowers in a loose raceme on 24 inch flowering stems in May-June

Comment

Widespread throughout Europe in dry grassy places to 1500 metres, stony places and open woods. Can self-sow rather too freely in gardens or division of the rootstock every 3 or 4 years. Slow starter but forms large clumps with time.

Available as plant from Beth Chatto Gardens or seed from Plant World Seeds and Rare Plants. Seed sowing instructions.

Companions

"In a mixed border Anthericum liliago associates superbly with shrubs that have dark-coloured foliage, such as Sambucus nigra 'Black Beauty' and Cotinus 'Grace'. These provide the perfect backdrop against which to enjoy the clouds of small white flowers.

It can also look good with low grasses, especially Deschampsia cespitosa cultivars, and rising out of plants with low mounded foliage, such as geraniums and heucheras.

Anthericum liliago is superb when naturalised in grass with a mixture of native and exotic bulbs and perennials. Along with understated narcissus cultivars ('Hawera' is a beautifully simple flower), it will sit well with Camassia cusickii, Allium sphaerocephalon and, for later colour, Liatris spicata. Maintenance of this kind of planting is quite straightforward: cut down the lot with a scythe, shears or mower on a high setting in late summer, then lightly top the grass throughout winter when conditions allow. However, stop all work before Christmas in order to avoid damaging the emerging plants." from Telegraph