While I picked up this little known hymenocallis on a road trip through Texas in 2001, Thad Howard found his original plants as a garden specimen in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, hence the name ‘New Lion’. According to Scott Ogden, it’s probably an old Mexican hybrid. Regardless, Hymenocallis ‘New Lion’ has been a superb garden plant here in NC, forming large 4′ wide clumps, composed of 30″ long, slightly glaucous, blunt-tipped leaves. The clumps are topped, starting in late June through the summer, with 2′ spikes of large, fragrant white cups, highlighted by long white whiskers. The late Thad Howard in his book, “Bulbs for Warm Climates”, comments “This is one of the finest species for cultivation, as it can take somewhat dry conditions.” Durable and easy about sums it up from our experience, also.
