Plantain Lily

Plantain Lily (Funkia) - Valuable Japanese plants of the Lily order, of which there are about half a dozen species and numerous varieties. The different species are free-flowering, herbaceous plants, with spikes of bell-shaped flowers, but the chief value is in the foliage. They are noble plants, most useful for many positions in the garden, while few lend such a fine effect as F. Sieboldi when finely developed. They are highly suitable for grouping, and few plants thrive better in open places in shrubberies or near water. The bold, striking foliage of some of the strongest plain-leaved section renders them very effective for edging large beds. They are best seen in well-drained deep soil. All are easily multiplied by division in spring or autumn. The best are:—

Related Flowers

Funkia Fortunei

Funkia Fortunei - This strong species has smaller and more leathery leaves than F. Sieboldi, and they are of a much more bluish or glaucous tint. The flowers are pure white or pale mauve.

Corfu Lily

Corfu Lily (Funkia Grandiflora) - Is 12 to 18 inches high, producing in August and September numerous large, pure white, sweet-scented flowers. It is best in groups, beds, or borders, in a well-drained sandy loam. About Paris it is grown as a flower garden plant, but with us it does not flower regularly unless in sunny spots and warm, well-drained, and very sandy loam. The young leaves are a favourite prey of slugs and snails. Syn. F. subcordata.

Funkia Lancifolia

Funkia Lancifolia - A small species, with tufts of lance-shaped leaves, narrowing from the middle towards both ends. There are some interesting varieties, chief among which are the white-flowered variety, a beautiful plant, spathulata, and plantaginifolia, with long narrow leaves. There are some varieties with leaves of different variegation, all well worth growing, notably albo-marginata, with a narrow white line along the margin of the leaf; undulata variegata, in which the leaves are undulated on the margin and variegated on the greater part of the surface; and univittata, with a broad white mid-rib to the leaf.

Funkia Ovata

Funkia Ovata - Has large tufts of broad, deep, shining green leaves. Flower-stems 12 or 18 inches high, terminating in a short raceme of lilac-blue flowers, which appear in late summer and autumn. One of the strongest species, and when in flower is very handsome. There is a variegated-leaved form.

Funkia Sieboldi

Funkia Sieboldi - The finest for foliage. It is 18 inches to 3 feet high, and has large glaucous leaves, somewhat heart-shaped. Admirable plants for picturesque groups, very hardy, easy of increase by division, thriving in any soil, but the foliage effect is finer on deep, rich soil.

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