Lilium japonicum ("Sasayuri")

Japanese name: ササユリ （笹百合）
Scientific name: Lilium japonicum

[Overview]
A perennial growing in mountain grasslands.
It has an ovoid bulb 2–4 cm in diameter underground.
The scales are white and not bitter.
The stem grows 50–100 cm tall.
The leaves are simple and alternate, lanceolate and 8–15 cm long, but their width varies from narrow to broad.
There is a leaf stalk.
Several flowers are borne at the top of the stem and open sideways.
There are 6 tepals, funnel-shaped, 10–15 cm long, with slightly recurved tips; they are usually pale pink, but some are white.
The pollen is reddish brown.
The fruit is an obovate capsule 3–4 cm long.

[Uses]
It is used in the Saegusa Festival of Isagawa Shrine in Nara.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by scale cuttings or from seed.
It prefers partial shade away from the afternoon sun, and well-drained soil rich in humus.
Avoid excess moisture, and provide good drainage and ventilation.
Protect it from cold wind in winter.
For potted plants, water when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, watering is unnecessary unless it becomes severely dry.
As a base fertilizer, apply a slow-release fertilizer high in phosphate and potash; from spring until the flowering period, apply a top dressing with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphate and potash.
Pests and diseases include virus disease, rot and aphids.

[Notes]
The Japanese name comes from the leaves resembling those of sasa (bamboo grass).

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