Gardening: Lilies

By

lyndagayle62

I lived in Hawaii for three years, with a bed identical to the one in this picture. Because they multiply so much, the plant became a beast, even pushing up the edge of the walkway. I tried to cut it down, but found that it was so heavily and deeply rooted I would have to dig two to three feet down to get them all out. Of couse, in the late 60's we didn't havt access to Round Up. I know they take a lot of water and love morning sun.

The flowers aren't shapely, and don't make good cut flowers, so you might begin considering interlacing some other plant in their place for the long haul, to avoid what I experienced. I was heart sick, and it left only a chopped gnarly mess of mangled roots. I came to hate the plant! They look good for a year or so, but believe me, they can become majorly invasive and a tough critter to maintain, unless you are in a region where they die back each year? Hawaii has tropical
seasons where most everything grows year round and becomes too lush! God bless and help you to decide before it's too late. They are truly lovely now. : )

By

kffrmw88

Yes they are cannas lilies, good luck.

By

Beth

Are you sure those are lilies? They look like cannas to me.

By

kimhis

Lucky you, to live far enough south for those crocosmia (I think that's what type they are). A good choice for planting along your foundation, much better than plants that get too tall and wide and block the view, committing yourself to a career of chopping them. Low maintenance gardening starts with correct choices, such as these lilies.