FLOWERS : Spring Lilies Can Brighten Gardens With Yearly Blooms
One of the most widely grown and best known of all the lilies is the snowy white, a fragrant variety that’s synonymous with spring and Easter.
This pure-white lily is native to Japan and for centuries has been a symbol of motherhood there. As the lily’s symbolism grew to include purity, chastity and innocence, early Christian artists introduced the flower into their paintings depicting the archangel Gabriel with the Virgin Mary.
The potted Easter lilies that adorn homes and places of worship at this season differ from centuries-old lilies. Hybridizers have developed varieties with improved flowers, fragrance and vigor.
“Breeders have worked to get naturally shorter stems so growers can more easily ship them in containers,” explained Lee Riddle, of the Easter Lily Research Foundation, in Brookings, Ore. “They’ve also developed varieties with better leaf retention and are still striving for improved flower longevity.”
Today, the most popular varieties of the White Trumpet Lily--or Lilium longiflorum-- are Nellie White and Ace.
There are 10 major commercial lily growers in the nation, all in southern Oregon and Northern California, where lilies flourish. They produce most of the lilies enjoyed in the United States and Canada.
Each year, they ship 13 million field-grown bulbs to growers, who plant the bulbs in containers and place them in greenhouses. By controlling temperature and humidity, the growers force the plants to flower in time for Easter. Under normal conditions, they bloom in June or July.
The finished plants are then shipped to nurseries and retail markets, where people buy them as seasonal plants. Although most people regard them as throw-away plants, believing they’ve died once the blossoms fade, these plants can be enjoyed for years in your own garden.
When shopping, look for healthy plants.
“Sometimes, the plants sit in warehouses for two or three weeks before reaching the markets, and they suffer if they haven’t received adequate water,” Riddle said. “In selecting plants, people should look for good, green foliage covering the plant and five to seven buds per bulb.”
The buds should be swelling and just ready to open, a so-called “puffy bud.”
Lilies are notorious for shedding their pollen, which is a nuisance when you want to transport a plant or sniff the flower without staining your nose. The easiest way to prevent wandering pollen is to remove the pollen-bearing anthers.
“Each flower has six anthers,” Riddle said. “Just reach into the flower and gently but firmly twist. They’ll come right out without damaging the flower or hurting the plant.”
Once you’ve bought your lily, you can enjoy it for as long as a month if you care for it correctly.
“Potted lilies should be kept indoors out of direct sunlight,” advised Scott Lathrop, general manager of Flowerdale Nurseries in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.
“The most common problem is incorrect watering--either too little or too much. The simplest method of determining if the plant needs water is to use a moisture meter.” These handy devices are available at many nurseries and home improvement centers and retail for about $6.
Be sure to remove or punch holes in the decorative foil when watering the container so the plant isn’t sitting in a pool of water that can encourage root rot.
The plant will contain enough fertilizer to sustain it during its blooming cycle. Once the cycle is finished, however, it’s time to plant.
“It’s important to plant the lily in the ground as soon as it’s finished blooming to enable the plant to develop a strong root system,” Lathrop said. “The plant must get enough of a root system for proper nutrient storage. If a plant doesn’t, it may not bloom the next year.”
Lilies prefer to have their flowers in the sun and their roots in the shade. Filtered sunlight or an area where they get afternoon shade is ideal. They perform best in acidic soil. Some gardeners plant them among azaleas, which have similar requirements.
To plant, select a suitable site and dig a hole twice as wide as the container. Mix organic material with the soil so it is rich in humus and drains well. Lathrop recommends adding some pre-plant fertilizer at the bottom of the hole before planting the lily.
Once planted, let the stem and foliage die back naturally. This enables the bulb to store nutrients for future growth.
Lilies need constant moisture but shouldn’t be flooded. Apply a mulch to retain moisture and keep the roots cool.
Feed in fall with a fertilizer formulated for bulbous plants. Riddle recommends avoiding fertilizers high in nitrogen because they encourage overlong stems.
A White Trumpet Lily should bloom within a year or two, but not at Easter. Expect the three-foot flower stalk to emerge in spring and bloom in mid- to late summer.
