This interesting plant of the iris family (Iridaceae) has been known variously as Belamcanda punctata, Gemmingia chinensis, Pardanthus chinensis, and sinensis.
Belamcanda is an East Indian name, possibly meaning leopard flower, which is the significance of Pardanthus, referring to the spotted character of the flower segments.
It is not commonly listed in nursery catalogs and, consequently, is not well known by home gardeners.
This lack of popularity may be due, in part, to the fact that the dead flowers are removed, as with the iris, and as a result, the seed pods cannot develop.
Black Lily Characteristics
The most popular common name, blackberry lily, refers to the appearance of the seeds when the capsule opens and discloses the cluster of hard, shiny, black seeds.
Norman Taylor states in Bailey’s Standard Encyclopedia of Horticulture that the birds sometimes mistake the seeds for blackberries.
This may explain why the plant has become naturalized in certain parts of the United States. According to Gray’s Manual of Botany (1950 edition), it is found in the wild from Connecticut to Nebraska.
This hardy perennial grows 4′ feet high and bears iris-like leaves along the stem. Flowers are 1 ½ to 2″ wide, borne on short peduncles or stems.
They are orange with numerous small red spots; the chief bloom season is in July and August.
The flowers are comparatively short-lived, but the capsules or seed pods will develop if not picked. Seeds show a blackberry-like appearance on opening in late summer or early fall.
Flabellata Species
A second species, flabellata, with yellow flowers and blooming later than chinensis, is included in Bailey’s Hortus Second and is described briefly in Contemporary Perennials by Cumming and Lee. However, it is not listed in Plant Buyer’s Guide (1958 edition) nor readily available.
Neither is the blackberry lily commonly listed in American catalogs since three sources for seeds only and six sources for plants are given in the previously mentioned Guide. One nursery in Massachusetts is among the six.
Propagated By Seed and Division
Like iris, plants may be propagated by seed and division. Seeds are usually sown in the spring and will germinate readily.
The seedlings should come true to color since the plant is a species and will not produce variations.
Seedlings should bloom the following year, but whether any would flower the first summer is questionable.
For the home gardener, propagation by division in early spring is best since the plants should bloom in the same season.
Blackberry lilies give the best results in an open, sunny location and will thrive in a variety of soils.
Iris Borer Problem
Iris borer may sometimes be a problem, but ordinarily, this insect is not troublesome. It passes the winter in the egg stage at the base of the plant or on nearby litter. Its presence is indicated by a slimy appearance at the base of the stem in early summer.
The plant may be lifted, the larva removed, and the divisions replanted. If the larva has not yet reached the fleshy root, the stem may be squeezed, thus killing the larva in situ.
When the larva is fully grown, it leaves the stem or root, enters the ground, and pupates, emerging as a moth of the cutworm group (Macronoctua onusta). DDT dust applied in the spring will effectively eliminate the larva before it enters the stem or root.
49466 by Prof. Clark L. Thayer