Maianthemum fuscum 'Tangkhul Giant'

Himalayan May Lily Asparagaceae

False lily-of-the-valley, but with considerably less false modesty. Our ‘Tangkhul Giant’ is a notably taller and more robust form of Maianthemum fuscum, collected near Shirui Mountain in Manipur, north-eastern India, in the heart of Tangkhul Naga country. Compared with the type material from the same collection, ‘Tangkhul Giant’ develops substantially taller stems, larger foliage and a more imposing overall presence.

The stout rhizomes produce handsome, broadly oval, glossy leaves, forming a substantial clump before sending up elegant stems topped with airy sprays of small creamy-white flowers in late spring. These are followed by rounded berries, providing a second season of interest as they mature.

The Tangkhul Hills are renowned for their exceptional botanical diversity, and this collection demonstrates how much variation can occur within Himalayan woodland plants. Rather than being merely a larger garden-grown clone, ‘Tangkhul Giant’ represents a particularly vigorous form selected from our collection near Shirui Mountain.

Grow in partial shade in fertile, humus-rich soil that remains reliably moist but well drained. An excellent plant for the woodland garden or the shadier parts of a herbaceous border, where its greater stature gives it considerably more presence than the typical form.

Height: 60–90cm
Spread: 60–100cm
Flowering: May–July
Fruiting: July–September
Hardiness: H5, approximately -15 to -10°C
Position: Partial shade to shade
Soil: Moist, fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
Collection: Near Shirui Mountain, Manipur, India
Habit: Robust, rhizomatous perennial