Description

The white rushlily grows in moist areas of the Cascades and northern Sierra Nevada. It has been very reliable in a container here in San Jose, where I have kept it continually moist in full sun. This unusual plant has been difficult to categorize by taxonomists. It is currently combined with such varied companions as agave, yucca, and soaproot in the Agave family, Agavaciae. Like other members of the family, white rushlily grows as a rosette of long, narrow lance-shaped leaves. These emerge from summer dormancy at the beginning of winter. The leaves are fairly upright and erect, lending a grass-like appearance to the plant. In late spring a straight flower stock rises over the leaves topped with rows of small white flowers. Rushlily is an easy bulb and seems to need only a moist environment to thrive. Some sources claim that it is tolerant of some dryness in partial shade. White rushlily produces copious amounts of seed which may volunteer in the garden if conditions are right.