Once the Himalayan lily has bloomed, the main bulb is kaput; the flower can rise again

In the Garden

Q: The giant Himalayan lily I planted several years ago finally bloomed this summer. I heard they die after blooming. Is there a way to keep it going, or is it toast?

A: The giant Himalayan lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) is, without doubt, the king of the lily family. The large, heart-shaped leaves are impressive, but it’s the towering flower spike capable of reaching 12 feet, adorned with whitish-purple, intensely fragrant, trumpet-like flowers, that puts on the royal display.

Once the blooms are finished, the main bulb is kaput, but if you dig carefully, you’ll find a number of bulbs of various sizes attached to the underground stem. These bulbs, called offsets, will grow if you leave them in place, but if you desire the big, spectacular flower stalks for which Cardiocrinums are famous, pull them off the stem and plant each one separately.

Pick your planting location carefully. These gargantuan lilies don’t like to be crowded and resent moving once established. They do best in an open location in filtered shade or morning sun in moist, but well-drained soil amended with plenty of compost.

Unlike most bulbs, Cardiocrinums should be planted with the nose of the bulb just below the soil surface. When you plant each offset, work in a handful of fish bone meal. In early April, and every following spring until it blooms, work in a cup of organic bulb food around the stem. Be generous with slug and snail bait to prevent the leaves from being eaten.

Then comes the hard part: Patience! The larger offsets generally take at least three or four years to bloom, and smaller ones can take five to six years before you’ll see (and smell) the magnificent flowers.

Q: I have a spectacular 8-foot-tall red Abyssinian banana planted in my garden. Will it survive outdoors if I cover it during the winter?

A: With huge, paddle-shaped, burgundy flushed leaves on a plant that can reach 15 feet, a red Abyssinian banana (Ensete ventricosum maurelii) makes a fantastic tropical statement in any garden. Unfortunately, this variety of banana can withstand only the slightest frost and must be stored indoors to survive.

There are two ways to overwinter it. If you want it to become enormous, you’ll need to keep it actively growing. Dig it up, plant it in a container using quality potting soil, and move it into an unheated garage or garden shed. To remain actively growing, a banana must have bright light, so place it directly in front of a south- or west-facing window, or under a halide grow light. Water only when the leaves begin to droop or the soil feels dry one knuckle deep. Due to the cold conditions, the plant won’t look great, but the goal is to keep it in as good shape as possible so that you can start with a big specimen when you plant it back outside in mid-April.

If you lack the conditions necessary to keep it actively growing, it is possible to store your red banana in a dormant condition. After digging the plant, use a pruning saw to cut it down to 2 feet. Gently brush the soil off the roots and place the stub upside down over a screen to let excess moisture drain out. Don’t let it dry out completely. Then wrap the roots in plastic and store the rooted base in a closed but ventilated (lots of holes) cardboard box in an unheated garage or other cool location. After replanting in spring, it should grow to about 10 feet the following summer.

Of course, if you really want it to grow big, the ideal would be to bring the behemoth inside to grow as a houseplant. Unfortunately, having suffered the aftermath of trying to get away with that in the past, I don’t recommend even broaching the idea with your spouse.