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