Lilium

Lilium canadense

Whorls of leaves crowd a stout stem which is crowned with a glorious candelabra-spike of large, pendant yellow-orange to red-orange turkscap flowers in summer.

The height varies from 60cm to 120cm, according to the wetness of the soil, which ideally should be rich in peat or leaf matter; lime or acid seems to matter less than humus and moisture. In good conditions this is a vigorous plant but it will always need a year to settle first. N. America.

Having once been quite easy to obtain in the trade. This has now become a very scarce plant in its true form (i.e. not L. superbum under another name!)

Lilium canadenselilcancan	£12.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Propagated bulbs, produced by division of a true stock. Large view

Lilium lancifolium flore pleno

The double-flowered Tiger Lily has stems up to a metre tall, clothed in narrow, deep-green leaves. Each bears 20-30 large, scentless, deep-orange, starfish-flowers spickled all over with dark purple-black spots. The petals are long, reflexing and pointed and 2-6 whorls of them sweep outwards and sideways around a tighter, central cluster. Flowering is July-Sept., depending on your garden.

This lusus naturae makes no seed (and has no pollen to stain your clothes either). It puts the resulting extra vigour into lots of flowers and the production of large, purple bulbils in the upper leaf axils.

Spectacular, readily grown in most soils. It likes cool, humus-rich acid soils (doing less well on lime). It likes a little shade.

This clone displays no signs of virus and is vigorous and healthy.

Supposedly introduced in 1870, this is to western cultivation as its history in the east goes back further.

Photo © Kenpei used, with thanks, under the GNU Free Documentation License Japan v.1.2.

Lilium lancifolium flore plenolillanflo	£7.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Flowering sized bulbs. Large view

Lilium lankongense

This stunning lily can only be addressed in superlatives. Highly fragrant flowers in July, with pink, reflexed segments spotted with deep purple. The flowers are valuable for appearing as other garden plants are fading.

Botanically this is close to L. duchartrei but it is later flowering with a longer raceme of flowers that are pink on opening and not white. There are many other differences but the above "tests" are simple and reliable and the plant is thus easily separated.

Lilium lankongenselillanlan	£8.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Cultivated, flowering sized bulbs. Large view

Lilium martagon

This is a widespread and easily grown Eurasian lily. It has strong stems from 60-150cm tall which have whorls of deep green foliage and slightly hairy buds.

From these buds open hanging Turks-cap flowers of pink to pink-purple, the petals of which are flecked with violet-purple inside. The flowers are strongly perfumed, some say pungently so, but I find this pleasant.

The plant is variable and in addition to the usual range of pinks, this seed raised stock will also contain a few white plants as an added bonus.

Lilium martagonlilmarmar	£7.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium martagon album

Raised from hand-pollinated seed obtained from true white parents. This is a gorgeous plant, one of the loveliest of gardens lilies and one that I esteem above many rarities.

Easily grown in a fertile, moist (not wet), half-shade or light shade in a humus rich soil, though like all lilies, it does not like mature trees and heavy, dry shade. A superb garden plant making a reliable display every June from buds that appear tantalisingly early in the season and seem to take forever to open!

Originally a seed-raised stock which almost always produces all-white offspring. The stock has been rogued and rogued and it is now pure as far as we can tell. There are also now vegetative propagations in this stock.

Lilium martagon albumlilmaralb	£9.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium nepalense

A gorgeous, but rarely seen, bicoloured Himalayan lily.

Deep garnet, hanging bells with the end third coloured bright yellow and reflexed upwards, like a lily version of Fritillaria michailowskyi.

Its is stoloniferous and it likes a deep humus-rich soil in which these can spread. A rich soil or feeding, will ensure that the offsets,made along the underground stem, reach flowering size quickly.

Fully hardy here over many years.

Lilium nepalenselilnepnep	£5.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium pyrenaicum

Dense whorls of slightly silver-frosted, compact leaves on short, stout stems which are topped by glorious, bright, vivid yellow flowers in June. The interior of each Turks-cap is rust-speckled especially in the throat. A stout plant with the whole seldom over 60cm here.

Tolerant of both lime and acid soils and this is an excellent garden plant with stout stems and a good floral display. It has become inexplicably hard to obtain recently.

Lilium pyrenaicumlilpyrpyr	£12.75		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium pyrenaicum Gavarnie

This is a distinct stock traceable to a collection made by the late Frank Waley in the Cirque de Gavarnie at 1,500m in 1935. It has been propagated in cultivation since then.

We have a few only this season, a first-ever offering.

Lilium pyrenaicum Gavarnielilpyrgav	£14.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium sargentiae

This very fine trumpet lily makes stems from 45 to 100cm tall. These bear scattered leaves all the way to the terminal cluster of 2-4 flowers. Each fragrant bloom is around 15cm long, of pure white shading to green at the base. Flowering August to September here.

Easy and tolerant and readily propagated as it makes bulbils along the stem, in its leaf axils. These are its downfall, as continued vegetative propagation has led to many stocks being carriers of virus. These are propagated carefully to try and avoid or minimise this problem. Our picture is of this stock.

Lilium sargentiaelilsarsar	£9.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium sulphureum

Slightly nodding elongated trumpet flowers, which are white outside and creamy to yellow within, characterise this wonderful lily from China which makes one or two flowers per stem in July and August.

It has been suggested that this needs heat, this is untrue. Glasshouse protection is only needed if you wish to set seed on this late-flowering species, in cold climates, otherwise it is fine in the garden and a valuable and lovely late autumn plant, in all of its slightly variable colour forms, which can range from pale yellow to cream, all with a yellow throat.

Lilium sulphureumlilsulsul	£6.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium tsingtauense

Stems from 40-90cm tall carry whorled leaves below a crown of up to six, up-facing, vivid orange, star-shaped, scented flowers. The thickly-textured orange petals are dotted with dark crimson. The colour scheme is completed by vivid orange pollen.

Lilium tsingtauense has an air of the tropics about its appearance though it is totally hardy here and very readily grown, flowering well in a well-drained, humus rich soil. It likes a year to settle.

Lilium tsingtauenseliltsitsi	£11.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Lilium wallichianum

A superb but rarely encountered Himalayan Lily. Slender stems up to 120cm tall are clothed with narrow leaves. They then make huge flowers at the crown, very VERY late in the season and rarely before October or November!

When these open they are large, fragrant, white chalices, the weight of which can bow the plant. They are one of the most glorious autumnal lilies.

A nice humus-rich soil in light shade with the shelter of something like a rhododendron or small shrub, is ideal. Then you just need a nice long, warm summer (such as global warming seems to be providing) to work the oracle on this one.

Fully hardy and not difficult to grow, but seldom seen in view of its late flowering season.

Lilium wallichianumlilwalwal	£6.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view