What’s blooming? Formosa Lilies at Cannon Park!
#BloomAlert! Check out the unique Formosa Lilies in full bloom at Cannon Park!
Tune in! Our horticulturalist, Kellen Goodell, teaches us about these strange and beautiful looking flowers, here.
Scientific name: Lilium formosanum
Common names: Formosa Lily, August Lily, Philippine Lily
Origin: Formosa Lilies are native to Taiwan (Formosa).
These lilies grow from perennial bulbs (meaning they return each year without having to be replanted). Fairly low maintenance, Formosa Lilies thrive in Charleston. They like full to partial sun and live well in zones 6-10 but excel in zones 7-9 (Charleston is zone 8b).
Formosa Lilies typically flower at the end of July, beginning of August into September and October with very showy, fragrant, white trumpet shaped flowers.
Although the flowers wait to show in late summer to early fall, these plants have great year round interest. Fun, lush foliage sprouts up in the spring and early summer with stalks rising up to 7-8 feet tall (this is tall for Lilies) and sometimes require a good stake.
During the fall and winter, the expired flowers become bronze, upright, candelabra-like seed pods that eventually split. These seed pods are gorgeous in dried flower arrangements that you can keep forever! Later this fall, we will show you just how to create the perfect dried flower arrangement using these unique Formosa Lilies!