Arthropodium candidum Little Lilia

Atrophodium candidum 'Little Lilia' is a plant that is sensitive to frost and cannot tolerate temperatures below -5°C (23°F). It can be grown in a pot or as an annual plant in most areas. During winter, a thick mulch should be applied to help it regrow from the base in spring. It should be grown in a pot and overwintered in a cool, bright, minimally heated room in cold weather. The plant is easy to grow and maintain in colder areas and can adapt to all types of soil as long as they are moist but well-drained. It can also tolerate moderate drought well. It can thrive in all exposures, but its foliage will be brighter in partial shade or dappled sunlight. When planting in open ground, it is recommended to water it abundantly in spring. It is better to avoid heavy fertiliser applications. During the growing season, any damaged foliage should be removed, and the shrub should be cut back in late winter, in March, just before the start of growth.

Atrophodium candidum 'Little Lilia' is a variegated form of a small New Zealand perennial not widely planted in Europe. This newcomer is about to make its entrance into our gardens and terraces. It is exceptionally bright, decorative, and accommodating. It forms a small clump of ribbon-like leaves, widely margined with white cream on a green-grey background, which stays evergreen in mild climates. Its summer flowering is discreet, with small white to pale yellow flowers. It is sensitive to frost (-5°C (23°F)), so it is recommended to protect it with mulch or grow it in a pot sheltered from heavy frost. It is excellent for border or container planting. It is cultivated like a Carex in moist but well-drained soil, with full sun or partial shade to accentuate the variegated colour of its foliage.

Atrophodium candidum is a perennial plant that belongs to the Asparagaceae family and is a distant relative of chlorophytum, asparagus, and hyacinths. This perennial, with its non-invasive rhizome, is native to the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It thrives in all exposures, in well-drained but not too dry soils.

The cultivar 'Little Lilia' was recently selected in Germany for its small size and variegated foliage, which is exceptionally bright. The plant forms a very compact and flat clump, 10 cm (4in) tall and 30 cm (12in) wide. Its foliage consists of numerous linear leaves with undulate margins and trailing tips, traversed by parallel veins, bordered in cream on a grey-green background. The white-cream margin is wider when the plant is grown in partial shade and narrower in full sun. In July-August, panicles of small, delicate flowers appear above the foliage, which have a joint in the centre (hence the name of the genus Arthropodium).

Atrophodium candidum Little Lilia is a small plant with refined, minimalist foliage. It does not require the presence of another plant by its side but pairs well with heucheras and brings a lot of lightness to the lush foliage of rodgersia and the plumes of ferns. Since this plant cannot withstand our average winter, placing it on the terrace or balcony with cyclamens, poinsettias, or other chrysanthemums stored away in winter is recommended. If winters are mild in your area, it can be placed on the edge of perennial borders or along a pathway. It will also make a great impact in a rock garden.