I have these in my "to plant" list ever since I saw yours. I just need a good shady spot for them, which I don't have at the moment since I need some of my new trees to grow in first.

Where do you buy yours from Grant? Are there any that will stay green all year long? I've been wanting to plant some plants that have grass/blade like looking leaves and these are perfect, not to mention their awesome looking flowers.

Thanks Raimeiken, I appreciate you looking/commenting. They're fun and so easy here (if you can give them that afternoon shade). 'Ellen Bosanquet' stays evergreen and always has those long, green floppy leaves. Many other types are evergreen too, although 'Milk & Wine' goes dormant for winter.

I get some from plant trades or ebay. I recently got some small bulbs from an online gardening friend in Alabama. She has a huge clump of them passed down through her family for several generations. I'm excited to see what they produce some day (it won't be any time soon, hah).

I bought 'Ellen Bosanquet' as a tiny little bulblet, about the size of a SMALL radish, LOL, from Plant Delights Nursery (awesome catalog, dumb slapstick cover page). Love their stuff. It's hard to tell from these pics, but she's in the ground at the very northeast corner of my covered patio, on the east side of the house. She gets about a half day of sun (the first half, lol).

Here's 'Ellen Bosanquet' today. She's definitely my favorite because she's evergreen, drought tolerant, and because her flowers each last several days ('Milk & Wine' only last a day for me in summer). Please post if you get some, and how they do for you. Small bulbs take patience, LOL.

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Happy gardening!
Grant

Very nice Crinum lilies, Grant! I thought lilies were too delicate for the heat, but you have proved that wrong. May look into the Ellen Bousaquent for a future planting. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Dusti. They're slow to get established from small bulbs, but once they settle in they're super durable. They absolutely don't mind when I'm on the road for a week or two, even in summer. 'Ellen' has definitely become my favorite, although all of them are great. Let us know if you get one and how it works out. Happy gardening--thanks for looking/commenting!

Found this huge crinum when I was browsing around online for landscape ideas.

Crinum Augustum - Giant Spider Lily, Queen Emma Lily
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It turns out that these do well here in our weather despite having huge tropical leaves. I found a guy from Yuma that have been growing these for years. Here's what he had to say about these.

"This plant has been in my family for 45 years or more, my Dad had the plants and most of us kids now have them too, We live in Arizona
and it gets super hot here ,the plants i have reach to 7 feet or taller I
did not know they could get this big until I grew mine no one else here
has ever got theirs to grow this big! It produces babies like crazy I am always giving them away...I have 20 adult plants that all bloom, mine also start blooming as young plants...I love these plants they grow great in arizona,best in part shade...such a pretty bloom they give! On the list where they grow I did not see arizona, yes they grow in Yuma ,Az one of the hottest places in AZ."

Now I just need to find a source for bulbs :D

This post was edited by raimeiken on Tue, Jul 15, 14 at 10:16

Neat Raimeiken, neat! I'm growing the green-leaf form that makes pure white flowers and it's done really well for me too. I really need to release it into the ground. Mine is in 3/4 sun and has done great in a large pot for several years now. I fell in love with the dark leaf and the green leaf forms in Hawaii and never really thought they would do well here, but they sure have. Mine is small compared to your friend's Yuma ones, but mine has definitely doubled or even tripled over the last few years.

I *think* I got it at Shady Way or Berridge, but I'm not sure. Maybe call them and see? Again, mine's the green leaf form of the same species, not the dark leaf one. Love the pic and information--thanks for posting it!

Let us know if you get some and how they do for you.
Happy gardening!
Grant

Enclosing the patio with lattice was a recent project, and while shopping for plants, came across a large crinum lily for around 12.00. Good deal? Anyway, thought I'd try it, although the plant was really rootbound, it seems to be growing fine. Don't know the variety, the store didn't have the name. Growing in afternoon shade with water every other day.

Where did you get it? Everybody I asked about lilies, said they don't sell them. (HD, Lowe's, and a few nurseries)

Try Elgin on the west side, they have good prices and a decent selection of plants.

Thanks, I will ...