Eucharis Lily

Eucharis lily (Eucharis x grandiflora) is a graceful bulb that produces fragrant white flowers similar in shape to daffodils. It is native to South America which explains it’s other common name – the Amazon lily.

For those gardeners in warmer climates the Eucharis lily makes an elegant addition to a shady corner with its glossy broad leaves and striking white flowers. They also make great container plants so gardeners in colder climates don’t despair as they can be easily grown indoors. Flowers can be cut and have a long vase life.

How To Grow the Eucharis Lily
The Eucharis lily is an evergreen bulb that originates from moist forests in South America. This means they do best in a warm sheltered spot which receives dappled shade, or morning sun and afternoon shade.They can handle darker shade but flowering will be reduced. When grown indoors they will need a bright position to get them to flower.

Improve your soil by adding plenty of organic matter like aged manures and compost. The soil also needs to be free draining so for clay soils add some gypsum to improve drainage. If growing in a pot choose a decent sized pot so you won’t have to repot each year (they don’t like being disturbed) and use a premium quality potting mix. Plant the bulb and water in with OCP eco-seaweed to get it off to a great start.

While the name Eucharis lily relates to Easter flowering it can actually be a bit of a lottery with flowering occurring anytime from autumn through to spring. It depends largely on the amount of water received and how warm the plant stays during winter months. If you’ve had yours for a couple of years and it isn’t flowering then cut back watering early autumn or spring to induce some drought stress.  Also consider moving to a brighter spot (but not into hot sunlight).

The large white flowers of the Eucharis lily are unmissable

Fertilising and Maintenance of Eucharis Lily
Each spring apply manure, compost or certified organic pelletised fertiliser to boost soil nutrients. Throughout the year apply OCP eco-seaweed and OCP eco-aminogro every 2-4 weeks for better growth and flowering. Remove yellowing leaves and finished flowers spikes as they appear to keep plants looking their best.

Plants grown in pots only need repotting every three to four years and this should be done in summer. To propagate more plants you can remove the small ‘bulblets’ from the sides of existing bulbs as this time. Replant as mentioned above and water in well with OCP eco-seaweed.

Pests and Diseases of Eucharis Lily
There are a few common pests which love to feast on the soft luscious leaves of the Eucharis lily. Watch out for:

• Snails and slugs love to chew holes in the leaves. Protect the foliage with a scattering of OCP eco-shield pellets.
• Lily caterpillars can also do damage quickly. Pluck them off by hand or spray plants with OCP eco-neem.
• Aphids, mites and mealybug may also appear but can be controlled with OCP eco-oil or OCP eco-neem.
• Scale can also sometimes appear and will need to be controlled with an organic insecticide.

It should be noted that all parts of the Eucharis lily are poisonous.

The Eucharis lily also has large glossy leaves