| William Bartram, a notable, early American | | | | around as a large leg. When these stems are |
| botanist, extensively explored the Island of | | | | cut off and replanted in the soil, they will |
| St. Simons in Georgia; describing vividly the | | | | root easily and quickly will develop to form |
| landscape, animals and plants in the area, | | | | another bulb at the base with roots about the |
| along with his personal encounters with | | | | diameter of fingers that extend out from the |
| islanders, and in most cases, their generous | | | | bulb, like spokes on a bicycle wheel. A large |
| offers of food, shelter and conversation and | | | | Crinum will eventually form small offset |
| hospitality to him in March of the year 1774. | | | | bulbs that can be removed from the parent |
| | | | bulb for increasing the numbers in a |
| Near present day Fort Frederica, beautifully | | | | planting. Occasionally, the bulb will divide |
| described by Bartram, as near a "venerable | | | | itself into two, large equal sized plants. |
| grove of live oaks, under whose spreading | | | | The Crinum is very easy to transplant in any |
| boughs opened a spacious avenue leading to | | | | kind of soil and hardly ever shows any |
| the former seat (Headquarters) of General | | | | dramatic or stunting shock after replanting. |
| Oglethorpe, but now near the property of | | | | |
| Capt. Raimond Demere" (the ancestor of many | | | | Some modern botanists feel that although |
| descendants still living on the Georgia | | | | William Bartram's original name of 'Lilium |
| Islands). After leaving this town he went 5 | | | | superbum' is not acceptable to replace with, |
| miles to south St. Simons where; "the lively | | | | Crinum asiaticum, that the name, Crinum |
| breezes were perfumed by the fragrant breath | | | | asiaticum may not be acceptable either, |
| of the superb Crinum, called by the | | | | because the habitat and the colonization of |
| inhabitants, 'white lily'...the delicate | | | | this lily was firmly established into mature |
| structure of its spadix (flower), for its | | | | colonies along the coast of the Eastern U.S. |
| broad green leaves and the texture and | | | | in the month of March during the year, 1774, |
| whiteness of its flowers at once charmed me". | | | | when Bartram discovered and described it as |
| | | | growing there in a pure and naturalized |
| In William Bartrams book, Travels, he had | | | | state. It seems impossible that Crinum |
| discovered the Crinum asiaticum that he named | | | | asiaticum could have migrated to the Eastern |
| "Lilium superbum" and wrote that it | | | | coast of the United States, except by seed, |
| represented pride and vanity, a puzzling | | | | which understandably can float in salt water |
| statement. This population of Crinum has | | | | and germinate later, after it has been washed |
| greatly multiplied after two centuries and is | | | | ashore. This remote possibility of seed |
| cultivated on an extensive scale throughout | | | | floating from the Pacific Ocean to the |
| St. Simons Island and nearby at the Cloister | | | | Atlantic to the Eastern seaboard does not |
| Hotel on Sea Island, the famous tourist, | | | | seem likely, since seed could only migrate |
| five- star resort, where all Presidents of | | | | through the southern limits of Brazil and |
| the United States since Calvin Coolidge and | | | | Argentina at the bottom of South America - |
| many Kings, Queens and Heads of State have | | | | against strong trans-ocean currents and in |
| visited and vacationed. Giant clumps of these | | | | water so cold that the seed would not survive |
| 6 foot tall lilies can be viewed publicly at | | | | exposure of the frigid temperatures through |
| the old slave cabins at the edge of St. | | | | the Drake Passage near Cape Horn, Argentina. |
| Simon's present day airport. The lily, Crinum | | | | |
| asiaticum, produces giant clusters of | | | | There is an early botanical historical |
| fragrant white flowers on sturdy stems up to | | | | description of Crinum americanum, a lily that |
| six feet tall, and the plant can bloom any | | | | is reported to be native to the Eastern U.S., |
| month of the year, but most prolifically | | | | however, this Crinum does not fit the William |
| during late spring and early summer. After | | | | Bartram description of "broad" leaves, since |
| blooming the flowers can produce giant green | | | | Crinum americanum has very narrow leaves and |
| seeds, the size of a quarter that can be | | | | Crinum asiaticum has very "broad" leaves. |
| planted on top of the soil immediately while | | | | Additionally, Bartram observed that the |
| green to produce small bulbs that eventually | | | | Crinum, 'Lilium superbum', produced: the |
| develop into large plants. These lilies are | | | | "fragrant breath of the superb Crinum....and |
| evergreen in zones 8-11, but usually will | | | | whiteness of flowers at once charmed me". He |
| re-sprout from the bulbs after killing | | | | recorded these Crinum flowers as blooming |
| freezes that are often experienced in zone 7. | | | | during the month of March of the year, l774, |
| | | | which could only be the flowers of Crinum |
| These Crinum plants develop into small tree- | | | | asiaticum, since Crinum americium only blooms |
| like umbrellas in Hawaii, with trunks up to 8 | | | | in late summer and during the fall - and |
| ft. tall topped by a rosette of 6 inch wide | | | | never in the month of March. These facts |
| leaves spectacularly perched at the top of | | | | prove that the description of the lily as |
| the stump. In the U.S. these lilies do not | | | | described by William Bartram was Crinum |
| often exceed 6 ft in height, however, the | | | | asiaticum. |
| stem of the Crinum asiaticum can be as big | | | | |