Chocolate Lily

About Chocolate Lily
Chocolate Lily is a striking BC native plant prized for its unusual, nodding brown to deep purple bell-shaped flowers with a speckled appearance that gives it its common name. Found in moist coastal meadows, this perennial bulb produces upright stems with whorled leaves and blossoms that emerge in mid to late spring. Beneath the soil, it forms clusters of small edible bulblets that resemble grains of rice and were traditionally harvested as a food source. A superb plant for ecological restoration, native landscaping, and cultural gardens.

Where Can You Grow Chocolate Lily?
Chocolate Lily thrives in Zones 4–9 in moist, well-drained soils with full sun to part shade. Ideal for meadows, woodland edges, or native habitat gardens. It benefits from seasonal moisture and can also be grown in containers if kept cool and moist through the growing season.

History and Historical Uses
A culturally significant food plant for many Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, Chocolate Lily (also known as rice root or Indian rice) was traditionally harvested for its nutritious bulblets. Harvest was often managed with digging sticks and practiced in designated root gardens, with care taken to replant small bulbs to ensure regeneration. The flowers also attract native bees and other pollinators.

Canadian Zone Information
Zones 8-9: Plant bulbs or cold-stratified seed in moist meadows or naturalised beds in fall.
Zones 5-7: Sow stratified seed in fall or start indoors with cool, moist conditions; transplant in spring.
Zone 4: Provide mulch protection and ensure consistent moisture to support establishment.

How to Grow and Harvest Chocolate Lily
Planting: Sow seed in fall or after stratification. Bulbs can be planted 5–8cm deep in fall.
Watering: Keep soil moist in spring and early summer; reduce watering after flowering.
Harvesting: Allow bulblets to mature for several years before gently harvesting in fall.
Maintenance: Minimal—divide bulbs every few years if desired and allow seed heads to drop for natural reseeding.

Seed Saving Tips for Future Supply
Collect Seeds: Harvest seed capsules once dry and brown in late summer.
Clean Seeds: Separate seeds from chaff and allow to air dry thoroughly.
Dry and Store: Store in paper envelopes in a cool, dry place.
Viability: Best germination occurs after cold stratification; seeds remain viable for 1–2 years.

Certified Organic By
Islands Organics Producers Association (Cert#1962)