Lily from seeds?

I was thinking of getting some seeds to grow lilys. Any idea of what type of lilys are good to start from seed?

I see choices like:
amabile
candiidum
dernuum
concolor
dauricum
davidiim
canadense
martagon
leucanthum
pumilum
regale
aurantum

Longiflorum and formosanum crosses will bloom in less than a year, but they are tender and will need to be brought in in winter. I grow candidum and, realistically, you are looking at 2 and a half years from germination to bloom. Several that you have listed are species lilies, and they take years to bloom even if you have the bulbs (martagon) or are exacting as to conditions (canadense and auratum).

Here is a formolongi (formosanum and longiflorum cross) that I seeded in January and it bloomed in September.

Oh Donna, that is the most beautiful delicate graceful lily I have seen yet. And you grew it from a seed in one year. Is it tender? do you have to take it in each winter?

Thanks Donna. Sounds kind of complicated. I didn't know there were lilies that wouldn't survive my winter.

good information

Thank you Oberon. You noticed the quality about it that made me grow it in the first place. That lily originated in a tropical climate, so I do take it in. At one point I had several pots of them. What fun it is when you see that you have new bulbs.

If you already grow from seed, which I do, it really isn't any different, and it is quite simple.

Maureen, don't let me discourage you. Have a look at this page. The seed is not available right now, but this is the first lily seed I ever grew, and I got it, if you can imagine, from Park Seed. I started it in January and then put it in a pot and moved it outside in May. The seed forms a teeny tiny bulb - cute as a button! Thank you for inspring me - I'm going to start some late this fall!

http://www.hardyplants.com/seeds/LFWL-A.html

And you don't have to overwinter it. You can start it every year, which is what I did at first. But if you just bring in the pot, put it in your basement, and give it a bit of water once a month, you can put it outside in spring and each year it will get taller and produce more flowers.

Maureen, why don't you check out the North American Lily Society? Here are the species seeds they offered, at a dollar a pack, with nominal shipping, this year. Please note that the IE designation means it germinates fast (unless otherwise noted) and that you can see the seed as it germinates. I think that they have every seed you mentioned. Yes, it's $25 to join, but you get a great mini-book "Let's Grow Lilies", and you can, if you like, grow lilies that I, personally, could never afford, if they were even available.

Division IX, Species
91-101 L. amabile = IE germination
91-102 L. amabile x L. amabile
91-103 L. amabile x L. amabile v. luteum = IE germination
91-104 L. amabile var luteum
91-105 L. auratum v. platyphyllum
91-106 L. bulbiferum = genetic mix being [L. bulbiferum v. chaix x L. bulbiferum v. croceum] x L. bulbiferum
91-107 [L. bulbiferum v. chaix x L. bulbiferum v. croceum] f1 cross. = DH germination
91-108 L. canadense
91-109 L. canadense coccineum
91-110 L. canadense rubrum
91-111 L. cernuum = IE germination
91-112 L. concolor = IE germination, genetic mix w/various L. concolor varieties pollen used on L. concolor
91-113 L. dauricum x L. dauricum
91-114 L. dauricum
91-115 L. dauricum
91-116 L. dauricum
91-117 L. dauricum red form
91-118 L. dauricum [red] x L. dauricum [best pink overlay sdlg]
91-119 L. davidii
91-120 L. davidii v. willmottiae
91-121 L. duchartrei
91-122 L. formosanum (tall pure white)
91-123 L. henryi
91-124 L. henryi citrinum 'Ypsilanti' x L. henryi citrinum 'Nikki'
91-125 L. lankongense
91-126 L. leucanthum
91-127 L. maculatum v. davuricum x L. maculatum v monticola = IE germination, slow to germinate.
91-128 L. martagon
91-129 L. martagon v. album
91-130 L. michiganese, collected in the wild
91-131 L. monadelphum
91-132 L. pardalinum ssp pitkinense, Buggy Crazy cl. x L. pardalinum ssp pitkinense, Freshwater or Strybing
91-133 L. philadelphicum Paul Machado
91-134 L. pumilum = IE germination
91-135 L. pumilum, red
91-136 L. regale = IE germination
91-137 (L. regale, ex Nals 97-201) F2
91-138 L. regale album
auction L. rhodopaeum (only in auction A1-114)
91-140 L. shastense (ex Vida/Mineral Springs) F2
91-141 L. speciosum album
91-142 L. speciosum v. alba x L. speciosum album novum
91-143 L. speciosum v. album novum x L. speciosum v. alba
91-144 L. speciosum v. clivorum
91-145 L. speciosum magnificum
91-146 L. speciosum rubrum
91-147 L. wardii (also in auction A1-115)
91-148 L. wilsonii (ex NALS 96-220)
91-149 L. rosthornii
91-150 L. rosthornii (hand pollinated)






This message was edited Sep 11, 2011 5:21 AM

I have put the URL in my garden favorites to check back. Thanks

Of the species you listed, Maureen, Lilium amabile, concolor, pumilum and regale are easy IE germinators. Lilium formosanum is also easy.

Donna, a stem with four blooms the first year is quite impressive! Bravo!

Rick

Hey, thanks Rick!