This showy bulb prefers rich, well-drained soil and to be buried to a depth of 4 in. (10 cm) and spaced 2-5 in. (5-12 cm) apart. It looks great in borders fronts, but can also be used as a ground-cover or grown in containers. It is often offered as a florist plant. As other perennial flowers are fading, these tall, white-flowered spikes rise later in the summer and early fall. Above long, dark green, strap-shaped leaves, the spikes rise as high as 4 feet with as many as 30 pendant, bell-shaped flowers on each spike. The flowers are long-lasting and make excellent cut flowers for arrangements. They open gradually from the bottom to the top of the spike and the leaves die back gradually after flowering. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant issues.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 10 in. - 1 ft. 4 in. | Width: 0 ft. 2 in. - 0 ft. 5 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Fleshy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Strap-shaped foliage dies down after the flowers fade.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Long-lasting
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Bell
Flower detail
White bell-shaped flowers with green center that are long lasting, fragrant, and make good cut flowers. Blooms open gradually from the bottom to top of the spike.
Bloom time
Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Walkways
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; English Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#summer bulbs #moist soil #tender bulb #well-drained soil #fragrant flowers #showy flowers #flower arrangements #border front #white flowers #flowers late summer #perennial bulbs #English garden #children's garden #cottage garden #naturalized area #bulb #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #container plant #flowers early fall #cutting garden #walkway