🌿 Secrets of Southern Gardening: How to Tell the Difference Between Crinum, Amaryllis, and True Lilies
✅ Learn to Identify Summer-Flowering Bulbs in Hot & Humid Climates
It can be confusing to tell summer bulbs apart, especially in Southern gardens where heat-loving plants thrive.
If you’ve ever asked, “Is this a lily or a crinum?” — you’re not alone.
This guide will help you confidently identify crinum lilies, amaryllis, and true lilies using simple visual clues.
🔍 Quick Comparison: Crinum vs. Amaryllis vs. True Lily
| Trait | Crinum Lily | Amaryllis | True Lily |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | Knee to chest height (there are outliers!) | Knee-high | Upright, medium-tall |
| Foliage | Spirals (whorled) | Fan-like, arching | Straight off stem |
| Stem | Solid | Hollow | Solid |
| Flower Parts | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Green, large, and germinates quickly | Green, large, germinates quickly | Flat black seeds | Flat black seeds (or small black bulbils) |
🌱 How to Identify Summer Bulbs at a Glance
🪻 True Lilies (Genus: Lilium)
- Grow straight upright but often bend under the weight of the flowers
- Leaves grow directly off the flowering stem
- Solid stems
- Petals are narrow, and colors can range from red, yellow, purple, white to sort of brown
- Seeds: Flat, stacked inside a narrow pod
🌸 Amaryllis (Genus: Hippeastrum. Sometimes Amaryllis belladonna is sold but it does not live the Deep South.)
- Shorter plant, rarely taller than the knee
- Foliage fans out in an arching, praying-hands shape
- Hollow stem (most reliable way to ID)
- Always six-petaled flowers, often red, pink, or white or striped
- Seeds: Flat and black, like lilies, but inside a fat, short, three-part pod
🌴 Crinum Lilies (Genus: Crinum)
- Tall, lush plant with tons of foliage
- Leaves spiral in a whorled pattern
- Solid stem with a soft, spongy texture
- Flowers are also six-parted, usually in pinks or whites, and striped
- Green, bulbous seeds that germinate quickly and easily. Many crinum do not set seed at all.
🔬 Expert Gardening Tip
Want to know the #1 diagnostic tip?
👉 Cut the stem. If it’s hollow, it’s an amaryllis.
If it’s solid, it’s a crinum or a true lily.
🎯 Secrets of Southern Gardening: Pro Tips for Success is written for home gardeners, landscape pros, and plant lovers alike.
📌 FAQs About Summer Bulbs
Q: What’s the easiest way to tell an amaryllis from a crinum?
A: Cut the stem. Amaryllis has a hollow stem, crinum does not.
Q: Are crinum lilies hard to grow from seed?
A: No! Crinum seeds are green, fleshy, and germinate quickly without special treatment. Just plant the seeds halfway in dirt, leaving half of each seed exposed to light. Keep moist.
Q: Do all three have six-petal flowers?
A: Yes — all three plants have six-parted flowers, which is why they often get confused.
🧭 Final Thoughts
With a little knowledge and a keen eye, you can become fluent in bulb identification — and choose the right plants for your hot climate landscape. Many true lilies do not adapt well to the Deep South. According to Scott Ogen’s book Bulbs for the South, look for the tiger lily and Philippine lily, also known as Formosa lily. But most crinum and amaryllis thrive in the heat and humidity.
Use this guide next time you’re in the garden center or checking out your own flower beds. To see an expert and short Youtube video on this topic, click here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RizlYYv6KBU
📗 Bonus Resource: Secrets of Southern Gardening
If you’re gardening in any hot, humid zone, understanding plant ID is just the beginning.
Jenks Farmer’s book offers practical guidance for thriving gardens, including:
- Choosing bulbs for heat resistance
- Amending and caring for sandy or clay soils
- Attracting pollinators while discouraging pests
- Building ecologically resilient planting beds
- Recalibrating your garden knowledge if you’ve moved to the South from another part of the country
Want More Southern Gardening Wisdom?
👉 Order Secrets of Southern Gardening today — https://jenksfarmer.com/product/secrets-of-southern-gardening/
