Guernsey Lily
Nerine bowdenii
Guernsey Lily is a bulb for bulb layer, edging, suited to full sun and loam, sandy soil or chalk, flowering Sep, Oct, Nov.
| Type | Bulb |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 45 cm |
| Spread | 10 cm |
| Aspect | full sun |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Hardiness | USDA 8a-10b, RHS H5 |
| Pollinator-friendly | Yes |
| Pet-safe | No |
Where to use it in a border
At around 45 cm, it sits best along the front edge, where a low, spreading habit reads best. Give it about 10 cm of room to spread, roughly 10 to the metre when planted in a drift. It is hardy across USDA zones 8a to 10b and rated H5 by the RHS, so check it suits your area before planting.
It appears in our lists of full sun, sandy soil, chalk soil, pollinator-friendly plants.
Border Builder uses Guernsey Lily's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.
Flowering through the year
Worth knowing
- Not recorded as pet-safe; site it away from pets that graze if that matters to you.
- Its flowers are valued by bees and other pollinators.
Good companions
Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:
- Crocosmia 'Emily McKenzie'to flower when it does not
- Escallonia 'Apple Blossom'for height behind it
- Lamb's Earsto edge in front
- Lavender 'Hidcote'to edge in front
- Lavender 'Munstead'to edge in front
- Margueriteto flower when it does not