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Towering Treasures: Oriental Hybrid Lilium

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | July 28, 2009 7 Comments

Last updated on December 2nd, 2011

AS I WRITE THIS, the air is gorgeously perfumed at A Garden for the House, because my Oriental Hybrid lilies, ‘Casa Blanca’ and ‘Star Gazer,’ are in bloom. What impeccable timing these towering treasures possess! Appearing on the dot the last week of July, they provide a burst of color just when many other perennials are beginning to wane.

‘Casa Blanca,’ above, an enchanting, pure-white variety, lights up the vinca bed on the north side of my potting shed. Its huge, star-shaped flowers are spicy sweet and outward-facing. Stems are 3-feet tall, and very sturdy; they require no staking.

‘Star Gazer,’ deep pink with darker-pink flecks and a white margin, also thrives in a northern location here, behind my garden shed. This one, too, is intensely fragrant. Unlike ‘Casa Blanca,’ its flowers are upward-facing, a definite benefit for flower-arrangers. I have found this lily’s 4-foot stems do require support.

Oriental hybrids are not difficult to grow. Procure bulbs in autumn, and be prepared to plant them immediately. They perform best in rich, well-draining soil, and in a location that receives just a few hours of sun. One bulb will produce one stem the first year, and more the next and subsequent years. You can expect up to 8 gorgeous flowers per stem. Bulbs are hardy in zones 3-8.

You do not, of course, have to grow your own lilies in order to enjoy their beauty. Stems of both Casa Blanca and Star Gazer can almost always be found in flower shops. Ask the florist to snip off the yellow anthers; the pollen from these will stain any surface it touches.

Are you a lily-lover, too? I hope certainly hope so. Really, you can’t beat ‘Star Gazer’ and ‘Casa Blanca’ for beauty and use, both indoors and out.

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Comments

  1. 1

    sherrie says

    July 28, 2009 at 6:58 pm

    This article made me wish they will soon devise a way to include smells with blogs. So you can click something and inhale what you have made sound and look so divine

  2. 2

    Justin says

    July 28, 2009 at 8:18 pm

    I have a nice clump of oriental hybrids, too. I'm not sure of the variety. It is similar to Stargazer, however, and very, very fragrant. I don't know why more people don't grow these in the northeast, they are so hardy, and hold up to wind and rain.

  3. 3

    Janis in Chicago says

    July 28, 2009 at 10:25 pm

    I have a florist-gripe! I don't know why florists don't AUTOMATICALLY remove lily anthers. I bought a bouquet that included lilies, and when I set it on my table, the pollen dropped and stained my tablecloth! Even my dry cleaner couldn't get the stain out!

  4. 4

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    July 29, 2009 at 11:07 am

    Janis – I agree. Lilies should never leave the florist's shop without their anthers removed. I suspect that many a tablecloth has been damaged by the rust-colored, cascading pollen.

  5. 5

    Randy J. says

    August 1, 2009 at 9:07 pm

    A good tip if you do get Lily pollen on your tablecloth (or linen trousers) is do not try to wipe it off. That only pushes the pollen into the fabric. Use the sticky side of box tape or masking tape and lift the pollen off immediately.
    Kevin your lilies are gorgeous! I would love to see some Rudbeckia Herbstone behind the Casa Blancas. The Rudbeckia also comes into bloom late in July and is tall enough to back the lilies. Add in a bit of Agastache 'Blue Fortune and you would be all set for a nice summer display! Imagine the bouquet in a tall vase on the piano!

  6. 6

    Janis in Chicago says

    August 8, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    Randy, thanks for the tip for removing pollen from fabric. I must have rubbed or brushed it, and that's why the stain set.

  7. 7

    Broken Barn Industries says

    May 22, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    Randy, I read your tip last year and put it to use almost immediately- worked great! Thank you.

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