Maianthemum purpureum G-W&P 150

Himalayan May Lily Asparagaceae

A Himalayan false lily-of-the-valley with rather more colour than its name suggests. Maianthemum purpureum is a handsome rhizomatous perennial forming upright stems clothed with several oblong to ovate leaves, the undersides and veins often softly hairy. In early summer, short racemes of small white flowers, often flushed or tinged purplish, appear above the foliage, followed by rounded berries which ripen red. 

Our G-W&P 150 is a wild-collected form, with the collection number referring to Christopher Grey-Wilson and Christopher Phillips—the RHS’s Plant Finder key confirms G-W&P as their collecting abbreviation.  I have not found a reliable online source giving the precise locality for collection 150, so I would not invent one; the collection number itself is worth retaining as valuable provenance.

The species has an impressive Himalayan distribution, extending from the western Himalaya through Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet to Yunnan and northern Myanmar, growing principally in temperate mountain habitats. Flora of China records it at 3,200–4,000m, in forests and thickets. 

A choice plant for the woodland garden, it appreciates cool, moist, humus-rich soil and partial shade. Its relatively substantial foliage and neat upright habit make it an excellent companion for ferns, Polygonatum and other Himalayan woodlanders.

Height: 25–60cm
Spread: 30–50cm
Flowering: June–July
Fruiting: September–October
Hardiness: H5, approximately -15 to -10°C
Position: Partial shade to shade
Soil: Moist, fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
Collection: G-W&P 150 — C. Grey-Wilson & C. Phillips