Marcelle's Crinums

Crinum japonicum

Crinum japonicum

This plant is typically found in coastal wet areas or even sandy areas near the ocean.  It is a naturally found Crinum species of Japan, and perhaps nearby areas.  C. japonicum has sometimes been classified as a variety of C. asiaticum. 

Marcelle has grown a variety with spotted leaves, an attractive form of variegation.  The flowers are white and set seed with a variety of other Crinum pollen donors.  In Marcelle's East Texas garden the plant is hardy but blooms only if left undisturbed, i.e., removing offsets will set back flowering for a year or more. 

One spotted cultivar of C. japonicum is called 'Han Ire', but perhaps not all spot-leaved types are the same clone. 

When well watered, and grown in a suitable container that shows of the succulent leaves, the plant is an outstanding garden addition.  Or, it can be grown in garden soil.  It has been suggested that some portion of the potting medium for this species should be beach sand but Marcelle has successfully grown and flowered the plant without addition of beach sand to the medium.