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Adagio's avatar

Do you know anything about growing on a Christmas Lily plant once it has finished flowering?

Asked by Adagio (14059points) January 5th, 2015

As happens nearly every Christmas, I was given a wonderful specimen of a Christmas Lily plant, just over a metre high. The flowers have now died and I would like to plant it out into the garden where it will hopefully continue flowering each year. I hope there is someone out there who can advise me. It might help to know I live in NZ, enjoy a temperate climate, and only very occasional frosts. One of the things I would like to know is whether to cut the single stem back, and if so how much to trim it by.

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4 Answers

Cruiser's avatar

Here is a pretty good how to for the plant you want to keep.

syz's avatar

Be aware, if you have cats, lilies are extraordinarily toxic to them. Even licking a few grains of pollen off of their coat can cause renal failure.

gailcalled's avatar

LIlium longiforium (we in the states call them Easter lilies) grow wild on the Ryuryu Islands in Japan, apparently. They are at N. Latitude 26.5˚. So if you live in a similar area, you have a chance at planting them successfully outside. I think it’s a crap shoot but fun to try. Do you know what your growing zone is?

“Plant your bulbs in the garden as soon as danger of frost has passed. Don’t store them because lily bulbs don’t go dormant.

Choose a bright location where the plants will get at least a few hours of direct sun.

Plant the bulbs 6 inches (15 cm) deep in rich, well-drained soil, 12 in (30 cm) apart.

Water well and fertilize once a month in spring and summer.

Deadhead flowers as they fade and cut stems back after the foliage has turned yellow.

Mulch plants in cold climates in winter to protect them. Remember to remove the mulch covering in spring to allow the new shoots to grow.”

When replanted outside, and with good care, you’ll enjoy flowers for many years to come.” Source

Adagio's avatar

Thank you all for the information, I think I have a handle on how to approach this now. And thank you especially @syz because I had no idea at all lilies are toxic to cats. The only thing I ever pulled out of my garden, because of its toxicity, was a Lily of the Valley plant when my daughter was very very small.

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