One of the most valued characteristics of a pot plant is its long blooming period. Bulbous plants often fail in this respect, but one that meets this requirement is the Scarborough lily, Vallota speciosa. This member of the amaryllis family, which is not a true lily, has umbels of scarlet, funnel-form flowers, each about 3″ … Read more
Lilies are members of the Lilium genus. What could be a more straightforward answer to the question posed by the title than that? But within that simple description is a wealth of possibilities. Divisions typically distinguish lilies. Here are a few examples: Division I contains the Asiatic hybrids. The flowers face upward and have no … Read more
Trumpet lilies announce themselves with bursts of color. Though given an entire division (Division 6 in the official catalog), these are not ‘purebred’ lilies but a hybrid derived from Asiatics. Nevertheless, they are worthy not only of a division but of all the attention they get. The name comes from their shape, which has the … Read more
Residents of Michigan are lucky. There, the Tiger Lily grows wild in prairies. Its lovely orange petals, freckled with dark spots, offer a beautiful display in windblown fields. Fortunately, it grows as far north as southern Canada and south as Oklahoma. A close relative called the Wood Lily, or Lilium philadelphicum occurs far outside Philadelphia. … Read more
Martagon lilies hail originally from Europe. But they have spread far and wide since, thanks in part to their astounding beauty. Also known as Turk’s Cap lilies, owing to the way their petals curl back toward the stalk, wildflowers species in this division are found as far away as Mongolia. Unlike most Asiatic lily species, … Read more
What’s in a name? Where the phrase ‘the humble lily’ comes from, nobody knows. And it is a misnomer. It should be ‘the mighty lily’ or ‘the amazingly varied, superbly beautiful, spectacular lily.’ These flowers are nothing if not hardy, lovely, and available in hundreds of species, each as glorious as the rest. The Asiatic … Read more
Why the Ginger Lily has that name is a mystery. It’s not related to the spice and doesn’t have its taste or fragrance. Still, this delightful flower – whose more formal name is Hedychium – deserves all the attention it gets. A native of the Himalayas, the Ginger Lily has grown successfully in many other … Read more
Lilies are a hardy plant. Still, they will benefit significantly from good soil selection and preparation and a bit of mulch on top. Like any plant, lilies get much of what they need to grow from the earth without our assistance. But many gardens have toiled for years and, like giant corn or wheat fields … Read more
Crinum is a wonderful summer-flowering bulb belonging to the genus Crinum and a member of the Amaryllidaceae, also known as the Amaryllis family. The genus name Crinum originated from the Greek word “Krinon,” which means “Lily.” It references the typical characteristics of most plant species, which have whitish flowers. This tender perennial bulb is native … Read more
Lilies provide beauty wherever they’re grown. But not all those with a green thumb (or who desire one) are lucky enough to live in a suitable USDA hardiness zone. Sometimes, a container is just the answer. Others prefer their flowers to bloom outdoors to liven up the display around the house. Here are a few … Read more