Sarah,

I'm not sure if you know this, but these plants favor very well draining sites in the wild in full sun. It sounds like your soil is good for this one, but I'd avoid it having wet/very moist roots, you many rot it. Both canadense and superbum are much more moisture loving plants found in both wet meadows and mesic/wet woods in nature. Good luck! PF

We grow hundreds of them. Just be sure to buy mature bulbs and you'll have much better success. The first question in buying a Wood Lily is to know whether they will bloom this season.

We grow them in neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Not too rich and well drained. I'd recommend part sun with direct sun for only a couple hours. The blooms will last a lot longer if kept out of full sun for most of the day. Be sure to mulch well in the Fall after the ground is frozen. You want the ground to stay frozen as late as possible.

A nice combination is the yellow ladyslipper and wood lily. Neither are prolific spreaders and they compliment eachother nicely in the garden. Both will no more than double in numbers from season to season.

Thank -you both I have a place for them next to my lavender a drier more alkaline soil unfortunatly it's in the sun. The only other place I can think of is in the shade near the jewelweed but it's too moist there and could be eaten buy voles or groundhogs and chipmunks I think it's safer near the kitchen and my lavender, I guess I should use some oyster shells or rock phosphate to feed it? Sarah

Sarah,

If you don't mind my asking, where did you pick up the wood lilies? Thanks Shari

Shari, I preordered them in January from Fairweather Gardens and picked them up at their open house on saturday. The reason I did that was last year they were completely sold out. Sarah

Here is a link that might be useful: Wood lily

I know its a lot of work but you might want to dig out the planting area to about 40 inches fill the bottom 2 ft with a mix of Horticultural sand and pea gravel fill the remainder if the hole with half potting mix anf half sand. That way you will be sure of good drainage and you can mix in a little dolomite.

Wood Lily grows in well drainage to dry soil. Don't think they will do well in clay? Clay would kind of prevent new bulbs to grow deep.

Mine grow in well drainage garden soil that I added in my yard,and don't give it too much water. I had to add soil because my yard was clay and sandy,and lot of my plants can't grow in dry hard soil.

I planted two yesterday in a gravel and sand mixture with a bit of rock phosphate. I probably killed them with my luck. What a misleading name I live just outside of Philadelphia where the soil is acid and clay and the climate is wet We do have woods but the soil is very rich and wet. Sarah

What is current source (summer/fall 2006) for wood lily seeds or bulbs. Anyone know??!!

hmmm, i purchased mine online at either prairie moon or sunlight gardens. it is extremely small :(

it may have also died this year, although it was green this spring :(

I was not aware of Wood Lillies until last month when I was delighted to discover them growing wild while hiking on the North shore Of Lake Superior, and then again a week later on the East shore of Lake Huron.
I'm pleased to hear they are available at nurseries and will try my hand at growing them.

Here's a chance to see some amazing plantlife:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/435193201/outdoorsmen-the-film?ref=city

Here is a link that might be useful: Help this documentary