Hmmm….I wonder where the perennial blackberry lily gets its name. Perhaps blackberry lily blooms at the same time that blackberries set fruit (which does seem to be true in my neck of the woods). Sounds good, but common wisdom is that blackberry lily gets its moniker because the clusters of black seeds resemble blackberries. Anyways, the photograph at right is Blackberry Lily Yunnan Form, collected in 1998 by Paul Jones of Duke Gardens and now available to you at your friendly neighborhood nursery. Blackberry lily, also known as leopard lily, is a member of the iris family and native to East Asia (although found naturalized in North America). Hardy to Zone 4, blackberry lily grows a foot or three, and has narrow sword-like leaves that while definitely sword-like are much too floppy for actual sword-fighting.
You’ll find blackberry lily growing along roads and in fields and any garden I habitate (so clap your hands, clap your hands). After flowering, don’t cut the pods from blackberry lily. The pods are fairly cool, although I’ve never really noticed the whole blackberry-lookin’ seedin’ behavior…but then again, I’m not so sharp in these matters.
If you do allow the seeds to come to maturity, blackberry lily will self-sow and spread throughout the garden, a habit I love. Each plant in its very own place is not my way. I do treasure the volunteers.
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Hardiness Zone: 4
I like the volunteers, too! I have one whole garden devoted to wandering plants, and it’s a fun surprise every year to see what it will look like!
Hardiness Zone: 6a
Blackberry lily was new to my garden this year - I only put in 3 plants to see how they’d do. I love them - great color. I wish their blooms lasted a little longer, but that makes me appreciate each day’s offering. By now, I think that they’re about done with blooming, and the seedpods provide an interest contrast and focal point. I didn’t know that they self-sow, so it’ll be fun to see what happens next year!
Hardiness Zone:
where did you purchase the belamcanda chinensis plants?
Hardiness Zone:
10-15-07 ***Ammended entry - sorry
I read your info (below) re: mapped hardiness zones:
“This map indicates the average annual minimum temperatures in the United States. My rule of thumb is to select the majority of plants for the garden hardy one zone north of the garden’s zone (unless you live in the southern portion of a zone). With most plants safe because they’ve been selected appropriately, one can experiment with plants marginal in the zone.”
My question:
The BELAMCANDA CHINENSIS is noted as hardy to ZONE 5. But, can I interpret that Garden Mob suggestion of zone selection to mean I might be able to successfully grow the belamcanda chinensis in Minneapolis?? If so, should the growing area be mulched with something also??
Thanks, KM