A beautiful and fragrant Lily native to Taiwan and closely related to the Japanese native Easter Lily. Both are cultivated for their ease of growth and large fragrant trumpet flowers.
Grow in average, medium moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers rich organic loams. Best sited with the upper parts of the plant in full sun and the roots in shade. Mulch around plants to keep root zones cool. Plant bulbs 4-6” deep in fall. Potted plants may be planted any time from spring to fall. Bulbs need good moisture year-round. Do not allow soil to dry out. Remove flowers as they fade to reduce the setting of seed. After bloom, cut plants back only after leaves and stems turn yellow. Bulbs are rhizomatous.
Typically grows from 4 to 7 feet tall and features a late summer to fall bloom of pendant, 6-tepaled, sweetly fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers (to 8-12” long) that are pure white but sometimes tinged with reddish purple on the outside. Each bulb typically produces 2-3 stiff stems clad with lance-shaped deep green leaves (to 8” long). Each stem is topped with 1 or 2 but sometimes an umbel of up to 10 flowers. Flowers are followed by seedpods that remain attractive in the garden or for dried arrangements. Each plant may produce from 6 to 30 flowers.
Genus name comes from the Latin name meaning lily.
Specific epithet means of the island of Formosa (Taiwan).
Germination Instructions:
For best results, sow seeds and keep them moist at room temperature or above for approx. 4 weeks. If germination occurs, continue letting them sprout over a period of 30-60 days. If there's no sign of germination just yet, then move them to a cold area like a fridge for an additional 3-4 weeks to "trick" the seeds and simulate going through a Winter/Cold period. Then bring them out to standard room temperature. This process is not difficult, and the seeds are not difficult to germinate, they just require these extra steps and a little extra patience
Helpful Guide on Starting Lilies from Seed (Courtesy of the RHS Lily Group)
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Most lily species are quite easy to raise from seed. With most, you don’t need to use a glasshouse. The only “special equipment” needed is patience: though with special care a few species will flower in their first year from sowing, most take two or three years
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First place a layer of broken crocks in the bottom of the pot
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Then cover with a layer of coarse grit.
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Fill the pot with compost to the internal level mark and firm lightly.
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Sow the seeds separately on top of this compost. About ten seeds is right for a pot of this size, denser sowing can result in the seedlings being too close making damping off problems more likely. Viable seeds will have an embryo visible as a thin line when held up to the light.
Most lily seed is large enough that it can be sown on edge with the embryo downwards and this is the best method provided that care is taken not to damage it. Try to space the ten or so seeds equally.
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If you have lots of seed of one species either use several pots, a deep tray (not a normal seed tray which is not suitable for lilies) or even sow them in a row in the garden or under cover.
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When all the seeds are in place, top the pot with about 1cm thickness of the same compost mix and firm gently. If you plan to leave the pots outside then it may be better to top with grit rather than compost as this will protect the seeds from being washed out of the compost by heavy rain.
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Put in a label with the name of the lily and any other information you think relevant, the date and the number of seeds for example. After sowing place the pot in a bowl of water and allow the water to soak the compost by capillary action.
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Let the pot drain and then either put it out of doors, in a shady spot (some people like to cover the pots with a cloche or cold frame, as protection against very wet weather, slugs, and scratching birds and animals) or seal it, using a twist tie, in a clear plastic freezer bag.
This will ensure that the seeds are safe and consistently moist until germination. The pots, inside their bags are best stored in a shed or garage and checked regularly.
Germination and Aftercare
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Some lilies produce an onion-like seed leaf upon germination. This is known as epigeal germination and may occur after a few weeks in lilies such as L. regale or be delayed as in L. carniolicum.
Others including L. martagon and most North American lilies such as L. pardalinum develop below ground initially, not showing a leaf until the following spring. This kind is known as hypogeal germination. A few species exhibit other kinds of germination. It is very helpful to know which kind of germination to expect as it will guide the grower as to when seed pot checking will be most appropriate.Once the seedlings are visible remove the bag if you have used this method and then move the pot to a suitable growing position. Try to keep the pot just nicely moist, and cool in hot weather. If you can keep the seedlings growing into winter for their first year (in a heated greenhouse), they will establish much more quickly.
Essential rule: don’t let the compost get soggy – avoid over-watering! Liquid feeding speeds growth, but without feeding you may get an even better root system, and plants that are more resistant to disease.
Keep a close eye out for greenfly, which love tender young lily leaves – as do slugs and snails.
Keep the young lilies in their seed pot until they are a good size (say two years). Then pot in a similar compost with a slow-release fertiliser, or plant out in well-drained soil or a raised bed. This is often done after foliage has died down but the young plants can be successfully moved on whilst in growth if great care is exercised.
Don’t abandon a bare seed pot until after at least three years, as some lilies can delay germination until they have been through several seasonal cycles.
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