Shirui lily is a rare wild lily found only in the high hills of Ukhrul district, Manipur, India, with pale bluish-pink petals that flower in early summer. It grows best in moist humus soil kept out of hot summer sun, and is usually grown from bulbs or seed.
Family
Liliaceae (Lily family)
Grows as
Bulb
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist during the growing season, but never waterlogged.
Soil
Moist, humus-rich, well-drained mix.
Temperature
Cool to mild; hardy to cold winters in its native hills. Keep out of hot summer sun. Exact limits not in sources.
How easy
Hard
Native range
Assam (Manipur, Nagaland)
Climate
temperate
About
Lilium mackliniae, the Shirui lily or Shirui Kashong Timrawon, is a rare Indian species of plant found only in the upper reaches of the Shirui hill ranges in the Ukhrul district of Manipur, India, at an elevation of 1,730–2,590 metres (5,680–8,500 ft) above sea level. It is located near the boundary of Myanmar to the east, Shirui village in the west, Choithar village in the south and Sihai village in the north.
This shade-loving lily has pale bluish-pink petals but has seven colours when observed through a microscope. In the wild, it flowers in the monsoon months of June and July. They are seasonal flowering plants and at their best in May and June when it blooms. The peak season of its bloom is May 15 to June 5. The height of the plant is 1–3 feet (0.30–0.91 m) and has one to seven flowers per plant.
How to grow it
The flowers can be cultivated in various ways. They grow well in humus soil that remains moist and is sheltered from direct summer sunlight. They can be grown as bulbs and seeds.
The seeds need to be covered with compost about 5 mm deep and need to be in a cool, but well-lit space. Artificial heat can prevent germination and they only germinate in the spring after they have been chilled or frozen in the winter. They can be grown in small pots and then repotted or planted outside. This is because the area in which they are from, Ukhrul, has wet summers and cold, dry winters.
Uses
The lily has medicinal properties which is used in treating skin and stomach problems.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lilium mackliniae 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.