Brown leaves on cardiocrinum giganteum; normal?

They need to be in the baking sun to flower...so I suspect you are overwatering too..

Sorry Amblealice I have to disagree with you there given that they are from the Himalayas they need light shade.

If the bulb isn't flowering size yet it could well be dying back. Make sure to plant in the ground in a rich, leafy soil, and it is worth preparing your soil in advance with plenty leaf mould and manure, to get the best from it.

Once the bulb has flowered it will die but will leave lots of small bulbs to grow on for several more years until they too flower. We have a succession of them in our garden and it is rare we have a year when one doesn't flower.

I stand corrected....they were the instructions I was given.....

That's okay - no sweat!

Quite normal. Parents is like this now and they have had theirs for years. Agree with Moon Grower on all points. Theirs produces offsets just like that. Picture at the bottom of the page of it in their garden.

Many thanks all for the answers. So I take it the leaves are supposed to die back in winter and will grow again in spring? Do I feed it during winter or just keep from frost and still moist? Should I take the leaves off when brown or leave them be? How do I know if it is alive or dead???My friend may be visiting next year......!!!!!

Plant it in the ground as per my info and leave it alone... I trust you were not expecting it to grow in a pot :-)

As for the leaves dying back leave them alone too and don't feed it will get all the food it needs from the soil. So far as I know you will not be able to grow and flower this in a plant pot. The flowering bulb is anything up to 2 metres in height.

Oooops!well thought I was suposed to leave it in the pot....!of course it would fall over if it grows that high! thanks for tip!! Will change my name to 'Novice'!! Watch this space for more novice questions!!! Many thanks to all.

The above answers are generally correct. However, unless you're planting soil was well enriched, a liquid feed in early spring is advised. See http://www.redhaugh.plus.com/GardenOpening/cardio.htm for more details on the cultivation of the genus, species and varieties.

We have never ever fed any of our Cardiocrinums - mostly we forget where they are until they reappear, the soil in the Himalayan mountains is hardly what you would call 'rich' neither do the bulbs get 'fed' in any way shape or form. Leave it alone and it will grow.