Do you have unanswered questions about the genus Lilium? We’ll help you find the answers. Just Contact Us to send your inquiry. Be sure to reference “Ask Lil E. Um” and we’ll find a lily expert with the best advice.

Part I Part II Part III Part IV

Hi,
Last year in northern Wisconsin the summer was wet and chilly and my mother's lilies suffered from a fungus disease which affected the leaves and parts of the blossoms. Though we treated for it, we worry the bulbs could be affected or even killed by the disease. Is this the case? My mother hopes you can advise us on this as she is a lily fan and has quite an assortment that she hopes she will not have to replace.
Thank you, A.

Lil has asked a very experienced lily grower, Duane Reynolds for his opinion. Duane is an NSLS past president and is the current committee chair for our speakers bureau. Here is his advice:

Unfortunately the correct answer is wait till next spring.
In past years in my yard Botrytis (which causes a dark brown reddish coloration to the leaves) did not kill the bulbs. Treatment is usually not effective because of the continuing rain and when I see it is already progressing in the garden. I kept fertilizing and watering as the summer dried out because the bulb was still growing.
I have also had wet (really wet) years when the bulbs were weakened so much they did not recover and died during the winter. This year in our yard we have very little snow and that could that be hurting the bulbs? especially weakened bulbs??

Summary:
One year of Botrytis shouldn't effect the bulbs. The bulb could be a little smaller, but who can tell.
Rain can seriously effect the health of the bulb and no snow with deep frost can also effect bulbs.
We need to judge each year by the seasonal variety we have in the midwest and in our gardens. Mother Nature weeds out the weaker cultivars and we as gardeners continually try to fool Mother Nature.
Duane Reynolds

Why are there so few varieties of trumpet lilies compared to Asiatic lilies? I really like trumpet lilies, I just wish there were more varieties available.
Forrest, St. Louis Park

Hi Forrest,
Thank you for your question. For the answer, we contacted Jeff Stiller, an NSLS member with a particular passion for trumpet lilies, having hybridized many himself. Thank you, Jeff for sharing your knowledge!

Originally, Asiatic hybrids developed from a large gene pool of species lilies. L. davidii, L. lankongenese, L. callosum, L. pumilum, L. taliense, L. duchartrei, and many more. The species were crossed with each other to produce hybrids. Greater combinations of genes led to greater variety in flowers. Trumpet lily hybrids derived from a much smaller gene pool. L. sargentiae, L. leucanthum, L. regale, and L. brownii.

Another theory of what happened was that one clone of L. regale was selected to be propagated. This variety, when crossed, or selfed with it's clones only produced copies. A condition they call apoximis. If other L. regale species had been used, it may be assumed greater variety would have been found.

Now because of the conversion to tetraploid forms, greater numbers or hybrid combinations of trumpet lilies are becoming available. With the additional crosses between divisions, Oriental X trumpets, longiflorums X Asiatics, etc., new colors, shapes and bloom times will be seen. Hardiness will be tested over time.

Jeff Stiller
NSLS

Message: Will you be selling day lilies on Oct 16 at the Arboretum? If so, do you have a listing. If not, is there a state society that sells them or has information on them?

Thank you,
Doug

Hi Doug,
Thank you for your question. The North Star Lily Society is a group dedicated to the Genus Lilium. We are very excited about our fall bulb sale and we hope you will come out and join us. We enjoy sharing our knowledge about our favorite flower and there is probably room for a lily or two in your garden! There is indeed a Minnesota society dedicated to the Daylily. I'm sure they would be delighted to hear from you. Here is the information:

Hemerocallis Society of Minnesota
Dues: $5.00 annually
Publication: HSM Bulletin (3x year)
Meetings: Bi-annually (February-November) location varies. Primary contact:
Karol Emmerich,
952-941-9280

Message: We call them surprise lilies. Is this the correct name? They come up fast in the first week of August. The green dies down and then mowed over after the green turns brown. When should I cut these? Thanks: Joe

Hi Joe,
Surprise lilies is one name. They are also called resurrection lilies, Magic lilies and Naked Ladies because of their pink flower. They are not true lilies, that is, belonging to the genus Lilium.  They belong to the genus Lycoris, and are in the same family as the amaryllis.  Their latin name is 'Lycoris squamigera' and they originated in Japan. Their green strap-like leaves come up in the spring and then die down. Weeks later, the flower appears, seemingly overnight. I would wait until the flowers are done blooming and their stems start to wither, that will allow the plant to complete its full cycle which will help generate the energy needed for next year's appearance.

Best regards,
North Star Lily Society

Thanks alot.
Jan from Plymouth, MN.

Hi Jan,
Isn't it fun to find a beautiful lily with your name on it?? Did you find it by checking out our Minnesota hybrids page? I contacted the hybridizers, Hugh and Ruth Cocker of Rochester. They plan on having Kathy Jan bulbs, along with others they have hybridized, available at our bulb sale on October 16th at the MN Arboretum.

Kathy Jan is named in honor of one of their daughters. A number of the lilies that they have hybridized here in Minnesota are named after their family members. What serendipity that you and your neighbor can share a lily that will remind you of your friendship.
Happy Gardening!
NSLS

Hi Tess,
You are very observant. The little black/brown balls are called 'bulbils' and are actually aerial bulbs born above the ground in the axil or angle between the upper leaf surface and the stem. According to the advice found within the North American Lily Society publication, "Let's Grow Lilies," the bulbils should be "gathered when fat and ripe. Sometimes bulbils will form a leaf and roots while still attached to the stem. These little bulbs may be planted in a furrow like peas, and in a year or two, produce a prodigious amount of good sized bulbs for your garden and to share with friends."

" Let's Grow Lilies" is a wonderful publication jam-packed with great lily growing information and advice. It is complimentary with a North American Lily Society membership - contact www.lilies.org, or it can be purchased for $4.00 at a North Star Lily Society meeting. Our next NSLS meeting will be at our Fall Bulb Sale at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on October 16th.
Best regards,
North Star Lily Society

Message: I am looking for martagon lily seed to start as there has always
seem to be a shortage of martagons for sale. Would you have any sources of
seed?

Best Regards, Ted

Ask Lil E. Um received these questions and with the help of Dr. Gene Fox, North American Lily Society President, sent a quick response to a very happy college student. Here is the email:

Message: Hello, my name is Ashley and I am writing a paper about different flowers and I would like some information about the lily. Please help me with any of these questions that you can.
1) Is the lily sporophytes or gametophytes?
2) Can you see the gametophytes?
3) Is the lily complete?
4) Is the lily perfect?
5) How is the lily pollinated and what clues support your reason?
Thank you so much for your help.
Ashley

Reply: Dear Ashley,
My answers are about lilies (true lilies) as in Latin Lilium
1. Lilies make seeds and are gametophytes. No true lily makes spores, so none are sporophytes.
2. When you say that, I believe you mean, "Can you see the 'gametes?'" One can see the male gamete, which is pollen as it is on the end of anthers and it, can become a brown smudge on your clothes if you are not careful. The pollen is made up of hundreds of tiny spherical grains. One needs a microscope to see the individual grain of pollen. The female gamete is inside the ovary or what becomes the seedpod. If the pods are cut open or dissected before pollination, one can see the female gametes or ovules (eggs).
3. The lily has a "complete" flower in that it has both male and female parts.
4. Yes, lilies have both the pistils and the stamens in the same flower, so it may be said to be "perfect". The word, "monoclinous" is actually the technical term for perfect in that case.
5. The lily is pollinated by transferring the pollen from the stamens of one lily flower to the stigma of another lily flower. One knows the flower is pollinated if, after the petals drop away, the ovary (seed pod) starts to swell up as seeds grow inside it.
Dr. Gene Fox
President, North American Lily Society

Here is Art's response:
" Yes, you can grow lilies in California, but if you do not want to deal with the hassle of digging in the fall and keeping the bulbs in the refrigerator all winter, you might want to consider growing tropical-adapted species, such as L. longiflorum, L. formosanum, and L. philippinense. These species are all white trumpets which don't need much, if any, winter chill. Unfortunately, all are prone to viruses, so it is best to grow them from seed, which is quick and easy, flowering in one year from seed. When I was in college, I worked for the Univ. of Arkansas as a cotton insect scout in SE Arkansas, Zone 7. One of my farmers had a zillion L. formosanum naturalized in his yard, which were quite magnificent in August. He quit mowing because he couldn't bear to cut any of them down. Another possibility is to try an assortment of LA hybrids. Some of them require very little winter chill to perform well the next year. Growers don't tell you this, so you will have to sort them out yourself. My own specialty, the OTs (also called Orienpets), are performing better in the South than even I thought they might, so give them a try as well, especially the ones which look more like trumpets. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and there are bound to be some nice surprises out there."

Best wishes,
Art Evans