Belamcanda chinensis or Blackberry Lily or Leopard flower or Leopard lily is an ornamental plant in the Iridaceae family. Leopard flower derives its name from the clusters of shiny black seeds exposed when seed capsules split open. Even though it is called a lily it is actually in the Iris family.
The plant grows 60-90 cm tall in full sun and is often found blanketing hill sides, the flowers can range form red to yellow to orange or mixed and bloom in summer to early autumn (fall).
The leopard lily is a flowering perennial of Chinese origin and is locally used in Chinese villages for its medicinal values.
Flowers are orange with a red dot and are 2 inches across.
Belamcanda chinensis need partial shade to full sun. In the greenhouse, we use a soil mixture consisting of 2 parts peat moss to 2 parts loam to 1 part sand or perlite. Let the soil dry in between waterings. Fertilize monthly during the growing season. In the winter months, water sparingly. If grown outside, plant rhizomes 1 inch deep in a well-drained soil.
Belamcanda chinensis is propagated by division of rhizomes or by seed. Seeds need a 4 to 6 week cold stratification period. Plants from seed will usually bloom in the first year.
