Crinum lilies (often misspelled "crinium") are truly classic southern pass-along, summer-flowering sun-loving perennial bulbs. Crinum lily cultivars have thrived for hundreds of years at abandoned home sites where daffodils have long ago turned up their toes. Crinums are extremely adaptable...either in dry or in boggy soils. Although drought-tolerant, Crinums bloom more if well-watered. Think of crinums as a horticultural IRA for your grandkids to remember you by. If you buy a crinum lily today, it should outlast you.
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Unfortunately, you don't often see a wide variety of crinum lilies for sale. We currently grow nearly 200 different crinums and evaluate them to decide which to offer. The giant clumps of bold, tropical, crinum lily foliage make an imposing architectural statement in the garden. In late spring and summer, crinum lily clumps are topped with an array of red-to-pink-to-white flowers...often fragrant. When you are ready to buy crinum lilies (even if you mistakenly call them crinium) for your perennial garden, we hope you'll check out our extensive online list of crinums for sale below.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. We are pleased to have received the Perennial Plant Association Retail Award in 2011, the American Horticulture Society Commercial Award in 2002, and to have been selected as one of the Best Mail Order Plant Sources - Garden Design Magazine 2010. Welcome to our family of plant lovers!
This amazing crinum lily has graced old southern gardens for decades, but was popularized by the late Dr. Thad Howard of Texas, who discovered the plant in the 1960s in Alamo Village, Texas. The fast-growing clumps of glossy, light green foliage are topped continuously throughout the summer with 20" tall stalks of large, spidery, pale pink, fragrant flowers. Although no one is sure of its origin, Dr. Howard suggested that Crinum americanum is one of the parents. Whatever combined to make this hybrid, it's a real winner. Just remember that to raise a garden, it takes an Alamo Village. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This collection of the bog native Crinum americanum hails from just south of Tallahassee, Florida, and has thrived in our garden for many years. The glossy, dark green, hippeastrum-like foliage forms 2' wide clumps that multiply from short underground runners. In late summer, the clumps are topped with 2' tall spikes, ending in clusters of large, fragrant, white, star-shaped flowers. We have found Crinum americanum very easy to grow in our moist bog and not difficult to flower as some have written. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Crinum 'Birthday Party' hails from the breeding program of crinum guru, the late Luther Bundrant, reportedly a cross of Crinum 'Bradley Giant' x Crinum scabrum. For us, Crinum 'Birthday Party' begins flowering in early- to mid-June and continues until August with sturdy 3' tall spikes topped with dark wine-colored buds, opening into large, fragrant outfacing flowers of rich pink with a wide darker stripe down the middle of each petal...outstanding against the 40" long, glossy green foliage! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
From the late H.B. Bradley of Australia comes this deep wine-flowered crinum with large open-faced flowers. This hybrid (probably Crinum scabrum x flaccidum) boasts much narrower, glossy green foliage than the powellii hybrids, eventually making a 2' tall x 3' wide clump. Each 2' tall scape is topped in summer with a dozen wine-colored, very fragrant flowers...superb! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Crinum 'Claude Davis' is a selection from Louisiana nurseryman, Claude Davis, and was reportedly a seedling of Crinum 'Cape Dawn'...we concur. The glossy green foliage forms a nicely offsetting clump topped, starting in mid-May, with 4' tall spikes of horizontal-facing, maroon-pink flowers...a most unusual shade of pink. Our clump has produced more than 15 flower spikes at once...a true showstopper! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Crinum x digweedii 'Bolivia' (Crinum scabrum x americanum) is one of many unnamed crinum hybrids floating around the country in old gardens. This clone was discovered by plantsman Frank Galloway of Bolivia, NC, who shared it with us several years ago. For us, Crinum 'Bolivia' makes a 3' wide clump, topped in September and October with 30" tall spikes of large, fragrant white flowers highlighted with a central red stripe. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Crinum 'Stars and Stripes' is a 1977 Thad Howard introduction that makes a compact clump to 20" tall. The narrow pleated foliage on this Crinum scabrum x Crinum erubescens hybrid gives rise to sturdy 2' stalks of stunning late summer flowers with white petals and dramatic red stripes down the center. In appearance, it resembles Crinum scabrum, but with more hardiness. For overall star power, this is one of the best crinums we have grown. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This is still considered one of the finest crinum lilies for the home garden. This vigorously multiplying hybrid (possibly Crinum 'JC Harvey' x Crinum scabrum) was hybridized in Florida during the 1920s by Louis Bosanquet and named after his wife. Crinum 'Ellen Bosanquet' begins flowering in mid-June and continues through most of the summer. The large, reddish-purple flowers, on 2' stalks, emit a delightful spicy fragrance. The rosette of wavy, glossy, tropical-looking foliage is a great addition to the garden, even without the flowers. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
One of the classic pass-along plants of the deep South is Crinum erubescens...the South American equivalent of our native Crinum americanum. The wide, 30" long, glossy-green leaves form a large clump that spreads by means of a large, underground rhizome. In moist soil, Crinum erubescens will make a large colony, while it is more restrained in normal garden soil. The clumps are topped with 3' tall red stalks of sweet-scented, spidery white flowers that continue from July to frost. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Once again we are able to offer the wonderful Les Hannibal dwarf crinum. This cross of Crinum moorei x Crinum americanum is the fastest-multiplying crinum that we have ever seen. The glossy green, strap-like leaves remain attractive all season, unlike those of other hybrids. In our area, expect a heavy flowering show of large, deep pink flowers, held 1' above the foliage in midsummer, followed by a rebloom in early fall...a great plant for smaller gardens! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This Thad Howard hybrid (Crinum bulbispermum x Crinum 'Thaddeus Howard' (Crinum scabrum x Crinum bulbispermum)) has lush, glossy green foliage making a 3-4' wide mound. The 3' tall bloom scapes are topped with large, fragrant, rich pink flowers with pale white striping from July to August. This is truly one stunning crinum! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Although it sounds like a fruity drug cocktail, Crinum 'Improved Peach Blow' is actually a Pat Malcolm hybrid of Crinum erubescens x Crinum album. The 3.5' tall sturdy stalks are topped, starting in mid-June (NC), with large outfacing flowers possessing an intoxicating fragrance (gardeners under 18 must be supervised). The carmine buds open white, then take on a light pink blush toward the end of the petals, which are complemented nicely by the pink petal backs. In form, it is similar to Crinum 'Mrs. James Hendry', Crinum 'Jubilee', and of course, the original Crinum 'Peach Blow' but with sturdier flower scapes. Crinum 'Improved Peach Blow' is still extremely rare and our quantities are quite limited. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This superb new hybrid crinum is a cross of Crinum 'Ellen Bosanquet' x Crinum 'J.C. Harvey' from Florida crinum breeder Alani Davis. Crinum 'Infusion' is a vigorous grower, topped, starting in early summer, with 3'+ tall sturdy spikes with up to a dozen well-formed, outfacing, bright cherry-red flowers. This is certainly one of the best new crinum hybrids we have grown in years. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Crinum 'Jubilee' is a wonderful but little-known hybrid (Crinum 'Sundance' x Crinum scabrum) from the late Luther Bundrant. The vigorous clump of medium green foliage is topped in summer with large, blush-pink, fragrant flowers atop 3' tall stalks...a very unique crinum. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We are very pleased to offer this fast-offsetting crinum hybrid that was discovered by the late plant explorer, Thad Howard in Veracruz, Mexico. Thad found this plant growing in a naturalized population of the East African Crinum zeylanicum adjacent to a population of the native swamp-growing, Crinum loddigesianum (similar to Crinum americanum). Thad named it 'Marisco' (which means "seafood") to commemorate the region's seafood industry. Crinum 'Marisco' makes a relatively small 3' wide clump (by crinum standards) of 30" long strap-like green leaves. The clump is adorned sporadically through the summer with 2' tall stalks of large fragrant white flowers with each petal highlighted by a central burgundy stripe. Moist soils will produce the best flowering. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This crinum is native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and makes a large clump of wide, glossy green foliage. Starting in early July (NC), the clumps are topped with 2' tall spikes of soft pink, fragrant, goblet-shaped flowers. Crinum moorei is atypical in that it prefers to grow in light shade. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This 1915 crinum hybrid from the late Henry Nehrling is a very compact and tidy crinum lily with rigidly erect, glossy, bright green foliage. Throughout the late spring and early summer, the offsetting clumps are topped with 4.5' or taller sturdy spikes ending in large clusters of very fragrant white flowers with a pink-lavender blush toward the tips. Crinum 'Mrs. James Hendry' is one of the first crinums to flower in the spring, beginning for us in late April. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This hard-to-find but wonderful 1962 Thad Howard hybrid is a result of a cross of Crinum 'Seven Sisters' (Crinum americanum x bulbispermum) crossed back to Crinum bulbispermum var. album. The result is a rock-hardy, thick, green leaf clump that bears 24" tall stalks topped with clusters of large, pure white flowers with a deliciously sweet scent. For us, Crinum 'Ollene' flowers sporadically from early summer into fall. I cannot imagine why Crinum 'Ollene' is not grown in every southern garden. Crinum 'Ollene' was named in honor of Ollene Bundrant, wife of famed crinum breeder Luther Bundrant. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Crinum 'Parfait' is a 1980 Thad Howard hybrid, derived from a cross of Crinum scabrum x Crinum x powellii var. krelagei. The sturdy 30" scapes are topped in summer with an abundance of carmine red flower buds, opening to large, fragrant, open-faced deep pink flowers with a subtle red stripe down the middle of each petal. To quote Thad from his book, "Bulbs for Warm Climates", "It should be in every crinum collection." Who are we to disagree? Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Crinum 'Eden' was shared with us many years ago by Florida plantsman Russell Adams as an exceptional white-flowered form of Crinum x powellii. We have enjoyed this for many years and are pleased to finally be able to share it under the name 'Eden'. The 3' tall flower spikes get started in June and are topped with particularly large, outfacing, Crinum x powellii-type, clear white flowers...simply stunning! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
.jpg "Epimedium wushanense (Wushan Fairy Wings)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Alamo Village' (Alamo Village Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Birthday Party' (Birthday Party Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Claude Davis' (Claude Davis Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Ellen Bosanquet' (Ellen Bosanquet Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Hannibal's Dwarf' (Hannibal's Dwarf Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum x herbertii 'Carnival' (Carnival Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Infusion' (Infusion Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Jubilee' (Jubilee Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Marisco' (Marisco Hardy Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Mrs. James Hendry' (Mrs. James Hendry Crinum Lily)")
.jpg "Crinum 'Ollene' (Crinum Lily)")
