Florida Swamp Lily is a tender perennial bulb native to wetlands from South Carolina through Florida and along the Gulf Coast to Texas. Rising 24 to 36 inches tall, it produces fragrant, showy white flowers (sometimes blushed with pink) in clusters from June through September, each bloom reaching 4 inches wide. Hardy in zones 8 through 11, this species thrives in wet conditions where few other ornamentals flourish, whether standing in shallow water or in consistently moist garden soil.
Partial Sun
Moderate
8-11
36in H x 24in W
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High
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This wetland native blooms reliably from early summer through fall with intensely fragrant flowers that emerge leafless on tall stems above a clump of narrow, evergreen foliage. Unlike many water plants that demand boggy conditions year-round, Florida Swamp Lily adapts gracefully to moderately moist garden soils while still tolerating standing water up to 6 inches deep. The combination of fragrance, showiness, and adaptability makes it a standout choice for gardeners working with wet spots or water features.
Florida Swamp Lily serves as a water plant and ornamental specimen for wet landscape areas. Gardeners use it to add structure and fragrance to water gardens, pond margins, and low-lying areas where standing water or constantly moist soil would otherwise limit plant choices. Its tall stems and fragrant flowers make it valuable as a focal point in water features or as part of a larger wetland planting scheme.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant bulbs in spring in moist soil where they are hardy year-round (zones 8 through 11). Space them 12 to 24 inches apart to allow for the plant's mature spread.
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“Crinum americanum inhabits the wetlands and swamps of the southeastern United States, where it has persisted in its native marshes, wet hammocks, and streambanks for generations. Its presence across such a wide geographic range, from the Carolinas through Texas, speaks to its resilience and established role in these ecosystems. The plant entered cultivation through its appeal to gardeners seeking hardy bulbs for water gardens and wet soils, leveraging its natural habitat preferences to solve a genuine landscaping challenge.”