Q.How Much Can I Trim Back A Crinum Lily?
When I moved about a year ago, my new house had some Crinum asiaticums in the front. They were really small to begin with (maybe 3 feet), but have since grown to about 6 feet (which I understand is their maximum height. They’re too tall for my front window and I’m at the point of removing them entirely or cutting them back My question is how much I can trim them back. Can I cut it down to essentially the stump and let it grow back periodically? That way when the leaves grow too tall again, I’d cut it down to the stump. Would that be a viable option?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
I think it would be preferable to move them to a new location. After they bloom, it's OK to trim back some of the lower leaves to tidy them up, but bulbs renew their energy through the leaves and I'd be afraid the continual cutting to the stub would diminish the flowering or worse yet, kill it.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/crinum-lily/crinum-lilies.htm
