Pancratium illyricum – Sea Lily –

Description

Pancratium – Sea Lily – There are about 16-18 bulbous perennial in the Amaryllidaceae family, in this genus. They occur in sandy or rock sites from coast line of the Mediterranean to the Canary Islands, Western Africa to Namibia, and tropical Asia. They have 2 ranked, linear to strap shaped, basal leaves, and produce terminal umbels of showy, white, fragrant flowers, each with 6 spreading outer petals and a central cup. Grow seal lilies against a warm, sunny wall. Plant bulb 6-8″ deep when dormant, in sandy, sharply drained soil in full sun. They like dry summers. P. illyricum – This bulbous perennial from Corsica and Sardinia grows 16″ tall and 6″ wide. It produces semi erect, broad, strap shaped, mid green, glaucous, basal leaves, to 20″ long. In late spring and early summer it bears umbels of 10-15 white flowers, to 3″ across. Zones 8-11