Guernsey lily

Sun

Full sun; choose a warm, sheltered position in cooler climates.

Water

Water moderately while leaves are growing, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings. Keep relatively dry during winter dormancy and never leave bulbs sitting in water.

Soil

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil; tolerates chalky soil. Improve heavy ground with a raised bed rather than planting into a wet pocket.

Height

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Spread

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m) per established clump

Flowers

Pink, narrow-petalled flowers with curled, rippled edges in autumn, usually September-November in the Northern Hemisphere and March-May in Australia.

Foliage

Green, strap-shaped leaves emerge in spring and often yellow or die back before the autumn flowers open.

Growth

Slow to moderate; bulbs gradually form clumps and may take a few seasons to settle and flower.

Care needed

Low

• Plant in spring with the bulb neck at or just above soil level, about 4-6 in (10-15 cm) apart.
• Water during active leaf growth in dry weather, but avoid constantly damp soil.
• In poor soil or containers, apply a light bulb fertiliser feed while leaves are growing; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• In colder gardens, protect the planting with a loose, dry winter mulch, removing it in spring; avoid wet mulch packed around bulb necks.
• Leave established clumps undisturbed and divide only when badly congested or flowering declines.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems back to the base unless saving seed. Leave green leaves intact and remove them only after they have yellowed and died naturally.

Spring

Plant bulbs with their necks exposed, or move protected pots outdoors after hard frosts have passed.

Spring

Divide congested clumps if necessary, keeping several bulbs together and replanting promptly.

Late spring

Give a light feed if needed and water during dry spells while leaves are actively growing.

Summer

Keep surrounding plants from shading the bulbs and allow fading leaves to die back naturally.

Autumn

Enjoy the flowers, then remove spent stems unless collecting seed.

Late autumn

Move pots under frost protection in cold regions and protect outdoor clumps where needed.

Winter

Check that drainage remains clear and water dormant container bulbs only sparingly.

• Plant repeated groups along a sunny border edge for pink flowers after many summer perennials have finished.
• Use at the foot of a sunny wall, where shelter and warmth help bulbs ripen.
• Grow in terracotta pots on a sunny terrace, moving them into protection where winters are too cold.
• Combine with low ornamental grasses and autumn-flowering sedums for contrasting flower shapes and fine-textured foliage.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Modern courtyard, Dry gravel garden, Mediterranean, Autumn colour and Small-space.

Plant it with: Autumn stonecrop, Lavender, Creeping thyme, Blue fescue and Dwarf bearded iris.

Wildlife: Flowers may attract bees and other insects on mild autumn days, though it is not a major wildlife-support plant.

• Few or no flowers: check for shade, deep planting, excessive nitrogen or recent disturbance; expose bulb necks, improve sunlight and allow clumps time to settle.
• Bulb rot: prevent winter waterlogging with free-draining soil or containers; discard soft, rotting bulbs.
• Slugs and snails: protect emerging leaves and flower stems with hand-picking or suitable barriers.
• Mealybugs on container bulbs: inspect leaf bases and bulbs, isolate affected pots and remove pests or use a locally approved treatment.

Toxic if eaten by people, cats and dogs, especially the bulbs; ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, and large amounts may be serious. Horse-specific information is limited, so keep bulbs and plant waste out of grazing areas. Seek medical or veterinary advice after ingestion.

• Guernsey lily (Nerine sarniensis)

  Shares the common name but usually has red, orange or scarlet flowers and autumn-emerging leaves; it is less hardy than Nerine bowdenii.

• Belladonna lily (Amaryllis belladonna)

  Also flowers on bare stems, but has larger, broader, trumpet-shaped pink flowers rather than narrow, strongly rippled petals.

• Red spider lily (Lycoris radiata)

  Has typically red flowers with strongly swept-back petals and conspicuously long, projecting stamens.

Nerine refers to the Nereids, sea nymphs of Greek mythology, while bowdenii honours Athelstan Bowden, who sent bulbs from South Africa to Britain.

Propagation. Separate offsets from established clumps in spring, disturbing roots as little as possible; divisions may take time to flower again. Fresh seed can also be sown, but seedlings usually need several years to reach flowering size.

Accepted botanical name

Nerine bowdenii

Native range

Cape Provinces, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.