Info about Lilies
About Lilies
Liles as most people perceive them to be are generally not true lilies, but species not related to the lily at all. True lilies are actually from the genus of herbaceous flowering plants called Lilium, which grow from bulbs into large flowers with prominent petals. Within this genus of flowers, there are approximately 110 species of lilies, most of which are native to the northern temperature however can also be grown in the northern subtropics. In the culture and literate world of society, lilies have a big influence and are one of the most well-known and widely popular flowering garden plants. Some species of lilium are even grown and harvested for edible bulbs.
Within the genus of lilium, there are some species which dominate in colder climates, and other that dominaite in warmer climates. Cool temperature species of lilies include the lilium candidum and the lilium catesbaei. Most species of lilies are relatively large flowers with six petals and are quite fragrant. They also range in colors including different shades of white, yellow, orange, pink, red and purple. The majority of lily species grow in the spring and summer, with seeds ripening in the late summer.
Liles are grown and widely seen in the Old World, Europe, most of Asia and Japan, south the Nilgiri mountains in India, south to the Philippines as well as through Southern Canada and most of the United States. They can be adapted to woodland or grassland habitats and some may even survive in the marshland areas of Southeast Asia. Lilies typically prefer moderately acidic or lime-free soils and are leafy stemmed herbs. Some of the North American species of lilies have a base of the bulb that develops into rhizomes while others develop stolons.
Various lily species and hybrids belong to the following broad groups; Asiatic hybrids (medium-sized, unscented, outward-facing flowers), Martagon hybrids (Turk’s cap style), Candidum hybrids, American hybrids (taller forms, clump-forming perennials), Longiflorum hybrids, Trumpet lilies (many of the Asia species, trumpet-shaped and face outward, strongly fragrant), Oriental hybrids (native to Japan, fragrant, outward facing, include the “Stargazer” lily), Other hybrids (all other garden hybrids), and Species (all natural species and forms). Some of the newest commercial varieties of lilies are developed using new technologies like in-vitro pollination, embryo rescue and ovary culture.
There are a variety of ways that lilies can be propagated, much of which will depend on the type of species or hybrid that particular lily is. The first way is by dividing the bulbs, along with growing-on bulbils that are adventitious bulbs formed on the stem. Lilies can also be propagates by scaling which is when the whole scales are detached from their bulbs and planted to form a new bulb and by seed which is a complex process but consists of various seed germination patterns. The final way to propagate lilies is by micropropagation techniques which include commercial quantities of lilies that are propagated using the in-vitro pollination technique and then planted out to grow into salable sized plants.