Round Black Seeds From A Blackberry lily

Ask the Expert: dont know what this flower is called a long time ago my neighbor had this really nice flower in the front yard. i liked it so i got some seed pods from it. well..forgetful me, i forgot to write it down. do you by chance know? the seeds are black, round and very hard..like bb’s, but bigger. 3-4 seeds per pod. i hope you can help. thanks

Reply:

Belamcanda chinesis Blackberry Lily From Cal' Plant Of The Week

Lily seed was the first thought that popped into my head when I saw the black round seeds in your picture.  Of course,  there are hundreds of lilies and lily like plants to choose from. I had to think about it for a while.  And, have to say my first choice is a Blackberry lily or Leopard Lily (Belamcanda chinesis).  This a a great naturalizing perennial in rock gardens and as a border plant.  However, this is a short lived perennial.  When I had these in my garden, I would let the seeds come up every other year to keep my area heathly and full.  This is what I would call an old fashion plant.  Because it propagated easily, old homesteads used this plant in abundance.  Unfortunately, you don’t see it as much any more.

Give credit where credit is due —
The blackberry lily picture shown comes from Cal’s Plant of the Week –  October 13-19, 2000.  This photo was taken by Cal Lemke.  He is the University of Oklahoma‘s botany greenhouse grower and an avid gardener.