Lilium ID?

I know there are a ton of lily cultivars out there and I know very little (nothing) about them, I am a tropical tree/vine grower. But I saw these lilies and just loved them. Very pale pink blossom, about 7" across, very strong, sweet smell, plant is about 14" and is producing an abundance of upward facing flowers. Plant itself somewhat resembles that of an easter lily but the leaves seem smaller and more closely packed on the stems. Don't know if it is possible to tell what cultivar it is, or even narrow it down, but any info you can give would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks-


popper1

Judging by the bloom time (though it could have been forced), and what I can see of the leaves, I would guess it's an Asiatic hybrid.
I'm sure one of the more expert folks can get a bit closer for you.

The strong, sweet smell, the spots and flocking (the texture) indicate that it is an oriental. It must have been forced, because it is REALLY early.

There actually are no spots on the flowers, I removed the anthers and the spotting is just pollen. I had a friend just stop by and she said they are Asiactic lilies.

Since they seemed to be forced, when do they usually bloom?

popper1

I agree with Donna, as usual, LOL. Oriental. Asiatic isn't going to give you that smell.

They should bloom in mid summer normally for you, but they may not get enough chilling to ever bloom again.

I would check with a local lily society if I were you.

After looking at my Montego Bay I agree. The leaves look like the asiatics, but it's a hybrid that gets quite tall and has a lily scent, tho not as strong as an oriental. That being said, I do have an asiatic blooming now, and a dwarf oriental that I bought as a potted Easter plant three years ago, that just finished blooming. I guess bloom time isn't necesssarily the best indicator in the warmer climates.
Just looked through B&D catalog and they advertise Party Diamond (scented asiatic) early. Looks similar...

Does look like the Party Diamond, i looked it up. I know with all the cultivars itis very difficult to tell one from another if they are not tagged (I have groen orchids and know the importance on tags). i just thought I would ask. I must saty though the scent is pretty strong, do the Asiactics not have as much of a smell as the Orientals?

popper1

Most Asiatics have no or very little scent.

Can't help you there. Don't have any scented asiatics. Orchids, I've got plenty of.

I think what you have here is a Dwarf Oriental lily called 'Sonny Bonaire'. Dwarf orientals have been gaining rapidly in popularity as a potted or border lily and have been commercially available in most big box stores the last two or three years. Some were even marketed this Spring with the Easter lilies. There are other pink Dwarf Orientals; some lighter, some darker than yours, like Sonny Borneo, Acoustic and others.

If you want to see a picture or description of these I think there's a lily grower in Michigan that I've heard has a good selection of dwarfs. Not sure of the spelling, either Hallson or Halson Gardens. Google for web site.

One more thing--CAUTION! Lilies can be addictive!!

Thanks for the name! Maybe I can Id mine.

It is www.hallsongardens.com I've never bought from them but I hear they're a very good place. I just checked and they have that Sonny Bonaire listed under lilies-dwarf Oriental. I have that one and another pink one called Entertainer and another called After Eight (a Stargazer look alike)

How long have you had your lily? Did you buy it potted?

I should clarify that Asiatics are non-fragrant. A very few Longiflorum Asiatic crosses have a light spicy fragrance. Orientals are known for their characturistic intense fragrance.

This message was edited Apr 28, 2012 9:29 PM

I think you are right, roosterlorn, pretty sure it is that it is Sonny Bonaire. I did get them from Home Depot, marked down to $0.99, and I couldn't pass them up; they are so pretty and have such a wonderful scent, plus there were a ton of unopen buds. I am not sure what I can do with them here in Florida, it is awfully hot even now (90 outside, I have the plants inside with the air conditioner)) and we have a short, cool winter. Although I must admit I was digging in the yard about 2 months ago (1st yr I have lived in this house) and found a bunch of bulbs that I threw in some pots and they are lilies. Have not flowered yet, just watching them grow to see what happens.

Thanks for all your help everyone-

popper1

Yep, that's where all of my dwarfs have come from either directly or indirectly as gifts.

Lilies never do well inside; they need lots of light. So place it back outside as soon you'd like. They like sun or dappled shade. Do not over water. Contrary to popular belief, liliums do not like soaking wet 'feet'. A little dry is better than a whole lot of wet--especially after it gets done blooming. And DO NOT cut them back after blooming; the leafs and stem become the 'food factory' to replenish the bulb for next years performance. Only after the leafs turn yellow and fall --when it goes dormant, should they be cut back.to a couple inches above ground.

The suggested zones for most commercial liliums (like yours) is 3 thru 9. But these are only guidlines and much more new information from private gardeners suggests many of these do well even in zone 2 and 10. I'd suggest repoting as soon as it finishes blooming to a larger pot with plenty of drain holes. Remove from current pot as a complete plug, being careful not to disturb the root ball. Use your own garden soil as filler and plant about 1 to 2 inches deeper than original. Store over winter on the north side of your house or the coolest spot you can find to vernalize and come next March, you may be pleasantly surprized! Any questions along the way--just ask. A couple names I recognize in your thread are excellant lily gardeners.

I don't repot mine, just put the whole mass in the ground on the north side of the house, in fast draining soil. I just found the yellow one I planted last year comming up.

Thanks for all the help. i did find a big pile of bulbs when I was bigging next to the house, maybe it was what OCCAROL does!

popper1

DonnaMack gave you excellent advice. The flocking (with or without spots) together with scent is a sure sign of an Oriental lily. The flocking is comprised of tiny hairs, giving dimension to the petals, not present on an Asiatic lily. Also, Asiatic lilies generally have leaves that are more slender.

When you find a single lily stalk in a pot, it has probably been forced. Lilies are happy in containers or in the ground. As Occarol put it, just give them proper drainage. Yuo will surely fall in love.

Cathy, that is a great description of flocking. I recognize it when I see it, but I did not realize that it was caused by tiny hairs. I can't wait for my first oreintal to bloom so I can check out its tiny beard!

Donna I can't wait either. I know the difference between Orientals and Asiatics form their blooms on the stem, but I cannot exactly describe it. The Orientals each bloom from a different part of the stem and the Asiatics most come from one crown on mine, kind of like a candelabrum.

As of today, the Oriental buds are starting to pick up outside color, but none have opened.

Some of my trumpets have enormous beds, and it seems really early. Silk Road is huge. The other lilies with large buds are Red Alert, which is an LA.

I'm going to be observing my orientals much more carefully, based on what you wrote. And I agree with you about the asiatics.

Funny how we look at the same thing and perceive it so differently. I notice obvious things like flocking, but now that you say it I can see what you see, which is cool!

The plants have finished blooming, and all the green is dying. What do I do now?

popper1

Popper1,

It is important to leave the foliage. The bulbs get their nourishment from the foliage, and if you cut it back, it weakens it. What you should do now is fertilize!

Since it is a potted lily and most likely 'forced', it will naturally die back early this year and bloom on a regular schedule next year. Once the foliage has completely browned it can be cut back. If you choose to fertilize, go easy with it and use a balanced fertilizer to the soil so the nutrients will be available when the plant is ready to grow again after a winter cooling.

Thanks. Think it was forced, all the foliage is dying too.

Popper1, in the fall lily bulbs generally become available for planting and are reasonably priced. Try a package of Asiatics and a package of Orientals. Plant them in an area that gets good drainage, or otherwise put them in a container with good drainage (not one where water collects in the bottom). When I plant in containers, I always use packaged potting soil, as it comes with fertilizer in it, and I amend with perlite or vermiculite. When they go in the ground, we amend the soil enouogh on our own.

Quite frankly, lilies can take a lot of abuse, but they don't like wet feet.

All of the lilies in the photos are in containers. I use either window boxes or large, 12-inch pots. The red lilies in the window box and the yellow lilies are 2-3 years old. I never remember planting so many lilies in one pot, so I think they have multiplied on their own. You'll notice that as they get ready to bloom, the outer petals change color. These are Asiatic lilies.

The photo of the green buds is an Oriental lily (also in a container), and you can see (I hope) that the stems from the flower (bud) come off the main stem in different locations. The 3 buds from the Asiatic lily in my garden come off the stem at the same location. Note the very narrow leaves. When this lily grows, it is looks like hair.

In the white container you can see the lily bulbs just planted (late) a few weeks ago. They are only 3 inches high, but as you can see, they form their buds very early. Even though they were planted late, they will provide some blooms and will do fine next year.

I don't know which lilies grow best in your zone, but if the bulbs are sold locally, you can expect them to do well. In the northeast, we are troubled by the red lily beetle, so I am constantly spraying, but for me, it is worth it. My guess is that Asiatics lilies will bloom by March or April in your warm Florida weather. Orientals generally bloom 6-8 weeks later as I recall. Two summers ago it became so hot that all the Oriental lilies were finished blooming by the third week in July, and that was it pretty much for the perennials. Thank goodness for the dahlias as they bloom until the first frost here.

I hope this encourages you to try a few on your own. Unfortunately the problem with lilies is the more you have, the more you want.
Marcia