St Bernard's lily is a clump-forming perennial with white lily-like flowers in early summer, grown for its spikes of blooms and tuberous roots. The key to success is full sun and well-drained soil, and it is slow to establish but forms large clumps over time.
Family
Asparagaceae (Asparagus family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly while establishing, then once the soil dries out at the surface; avoid waterlogging.
Soil
Well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil, including stony or gritty mixes.
Temperature
Hardy to USDA Zone 6; cold-tolerant, with no specific frost limit given.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not toxic to cats or dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
S. Sweden to S. Europe and Türkiye
Climate
temperate
About
Anthericum liliago, the St Bernard's lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is native to mainland Europe (not the British Isles) and Turkey, growing in dry pastures, stony places and open woods and flowering in early summer. In Sweden, the northernmost stable populations grows along the rocky shores of Lake Sommen (58° N), albeit on occasions it has been found as far north as Uppland (60° N).
How to grow it
Best grown in well-drained soil in a sunny position, A. liliago can be propagated by seed or by division of the rootstock every 3 to 4 years. It is a slow starter but forms large clumps with time (USDA Zone 6). The cultivar 'Major' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Anthericum liliago by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.