The Blackberry Lily comes from the family of the Iridaceae, just like: Farmer's crocus, Yellow iris, Gladiolus, Freesia, Variegated crocus, Saffron crocus, Blue iris, Agaphantus, Butterfly iris, Corn lily, Stokoei, Romulea and Zygotritonia. The Blackberry Lily is also called Leopard lily. It originates from East Asia, from the countries China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, Taiwan and South Korea. It is a beautiful and striking flower. This flower looks very much like an iris when unopened, but as soon as the flowers open, this comparison can no longer be made. The flower color is orange with reddish brown dots. This flower stands on sturdy long stems and is surrounded by green leaves. This is where it gets its Dutch name Luipaard Bloem. This plant grows in the wild in meadows, pastures, mountainous areas, shrubs and in grasslands. It is widely cultivated for its attractive flowers that can also be used as cut flowers.
Place this plant in a very sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. It needs a lot of sun. It blooms from July to August. It isn't evergreen. The plant dies back in the winter and comes back in the spring. Cut off the old foliage just before the plant starts growing again. Protect this plant well in the winter. The Blackberry Lily is very popular with bees, butterflies, hoverflies, beetles and other useful insects. This is because this plant produces a lot of pollen and nectar in early spring. This is a period when not many other flowers are blooming yet. Non hardy perennial. Height: 50 – 80 cm.
Outdoor sowing: May - July
Germination: 14 - 28 days
Germination temp.: 20 - 25 ºC
Sowing depth: shallow - ½ cm
Planting distance: 30 - 40 cm
Plant position: sun - sheltered
Flowering period: July - August
Blackberry Lily can be sown outdoors from May on. Sow in a very sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Also ensure good fertilisation in advance. Sow thinly and superficially. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of sieved potting soil. You can also carefully press the seeds into the soil. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop, especially at night. A minimum temperature of 20 C° is required, but warmer is better. This can possibly shorten the long germination time. Keep the seeds moist, but not too night to prevent mould. Keep weed-free.
As soon as the seedlings emerge and are large enough to handle, thin out to 30 - 40 cm. Don't let the Blackberry Lilies dry out. Remove the faded flowers regularly to enjoy this exotic appearance for longer. Blackberry Lily is also a beautiful cut flower. Pick the flowers preferably early in the morning.
