Lily – Lilium spp.

Common Name: Lily, Asiatic Hybrids

Botanical Name: Lilium spp., LIL-ee-um

Decorative Life: 4-11 days, cultivars vary.

Flower Color: Orange, Red, White, Yellow

Availability: Year Round

Harvest when first flower is fully colored but not open is one recommendation while another says that the colored bud number should be two.

• Member of the Liliaceae (lily family).
• Native to China, Japan.
• Common relatives include asparagus, lily-of-the-valley, daylily, hyacinth and tulip.

• Flowers are upright, cup-shaped with recurved tips, 4-5 inches in diameter.
• Stems 20-36 inches long, 3-12 flowers per stem.
• Plant is a herbaceous perennial from a bulb, classed as a monocotyledon.
• Slight to no flower fragrance.

Store at 36-38 F (less than 3 days), 32-34 F (more than three days).

• Asiatic hybrids are the results of crosses using as many as 12 species of lilies, including L. amiable, L. bulbiferum, L. maculatum, L. pumilum and L. tigrinum. Latin form of the Greek “leiron” (used by Theophrastus for the Madonna lily).
• Well-known Asiatic lily cultivars include ‘Connecticut King’ (yellow), ‘Enchantment’ (orange), ‘Grand Prix’ (red), ‘Moulin Rouge’ (red), ‘Roma’ (white), ‘Sterling Star’ (white)’.
• Crosses between Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum ) and Asiatic or Oriental hybrids have produced the “LA” and “LO” hybrids which often have little or no fragrance and improved leaf characteristics.
• Requires high light levels (>200 ft-c.) under interior conditions. Pollen sheds easily and stains whatever it touches. Removal of the stamens from the flower prevents this, but shortens vaselife. With over 3000 species, the lily family includes many medicinal and food species in addition to ornamental species.
• With more than 100 species, the Lily has been in cultivation for centuries, and has acquired many religious and mystical associations. Known as the flower of the Virgin Mary, the Lily has long been thought to represent purity.

Ranwala et al. (2002) showed that Oriental or LA hybrid bulbs dipped for 1 minute in either Bonzi or Sumagic before planting was a good way to reduce stem elongation without inducing leaf yellowing or premature flower bud drop if used at the proper concentration.