Lilium 2019

[fermi de Sousa]

The summer's heat has been a bit rough on some of the liliums but the Oriental-Trumpet Hybrid 'Mr Cas' has come through with only minor sunburn
cheers
fermi

[brianw]

Noticed recently that one of my Lilium henryi plants has a divided stem with 2 growth points. Not unusual for lilies from other online postings, but the normally robust stem, nearly 3 cm in diameter feels much weaker to me. It flattens (figure of eight) and divides at 40+ cms. Last years final height was taller than me. If it's a windy year could need staking. I recall there are a number of very tall lilies (Cardiocrinum apart); do they grow in very sheltered situations in the wild?

[ArnoldT]

Lilium sargentiae

Spends winters in the cold greenhouse and outside in a 6 inch pot during summers.

Requires some staking with winds and rain.

Good crop of stem bulbils.

[Gail]

They might not appeal to those who like the delicate species but I went to a fantastic garden today, Dale Farm at Dereham in Norfolk. Inspirational pond planting, wonderful large clumps of scented phlox and the most jaw-dropping lilies (Lilium 'Revelation' and 'Robina') that I've ever seen - more that 6ft tall with huge flowers in shades of pink, richly scented and looking particularly good combined with pink and white hydrangea arborescens.

[Maggi Young]

Crumbs!  No shortage  of  blooms  on those  stems - how  pretty - and  nice  combo with the  hydrangea, too.

[Rick R.]

Robina has been around for quite some time now, and has proven itself to be robust, relatively long lived and tolerant to differing environments.  If you want a reliable Orientpet lily, you can't go wrong choosing it. 

[Gail]

If you want a reliable Orientpet lily.

I hadn't realised that I wanted Orientpet lilies but having seen and smelt them I now want lots

[Bart]

Hello Lily lovers,

Maybe someone can shine a light on which species lily make bulbs as shown in the picture? I've grown them from srgc seed. I did get quite a few martagons through the years, canadense, monadelhum, duchartrei, and maybe other but I mislaid the lists of 3 years worth of exchange seed so it could be anything really. I guess the bobbly-ness combined with the stolon might narrow it down.

All suggestions appreciated!

[Rick R.]

An eastern North American.  L. canadense is a strong candidate, but I'm not sure we can tell at this early stage. Below, see
Lilium canadense seedling  bulbs


Lilium michiganense seedling bulbs

[Bart]

Hi Rick, thank you for that. I will go with L. canadense until I get a flower. Given the list of seeds I planted it seems pretty safe. How close to flowering you think these are? The seed is from seedex 2013!

[Rick R.]

These L. canadense seedlings I pictured here:
-- photo taken in fall 2010
-- first feeble flowers in 2012
-- nice flowering in 2013.  This was the best one:


However my garden is surely drier than their preference, and my pH is only slightly acid.  I wouldn't be surprised if you could do better.

[Rick R.]

I started hypogeal germinating seeds on November 23.


On December 25, they aren't ready to go into a cold treatment, but they can be planted in pots.  Here you can see the little seed bulbs forming.

[Véronique Macrelle]

thanks for these very interesting photographs Rick !

L. canadense is very beautiful
 if I understood correctly it was able to flower from seed in 3/4 years?
I like lilies and I am looking for species that bloom fairly quickly from seedlings.
 my 'baby' martagon bloomed for the first time this year after I don't remember how many years (7 or
 I would like to sow faster and fairly easy species: which ones do you think?

[Rick R.]

Actually, no.  L. canadense seed was planted in 2007, the little bulbs pic was 2010, first feeble flower was 2012, good flowering 2013.  So for me it was 6-7 years.  But for me, not optimal conditions, and of course, being delayed ypogeal germinating, in year 2007 there was no growth above the soil surface, which is normal.  (Back then, I did not start this type of seed inside the house in the fall, as I did with the most recent pics above.)   

For faster maturing lilies, I think you'll need to stay away from the hypogeal germinating types, except for L. pensylvanicum(dauricum).  The Balkan hypogeal species, I don't really know as they don't seem to be very hardy here. I get them growing for a while and then one "bad" winter and they all die.  I grow a lot of martagon section lilies, and my fastest blooming was 4 seasons from seed(including the season completely underground).  Longest was eleven years. Usual is 5-7 years.

The more easily found species are pretty fast to mature. formosanum, longiflorum, concolor, davidii, amabile, callosum, leichtlinii, oxypetalum, pumilum, henryi, regale, philippinense.  Of course, hybrids are always relatively fast.

[Véronique Macrelle]

thank, Rick