Lilies and Related Plants - RHS Lily Group

LILIES 

and Related Plants 

2011-2012

LILIES 


2011-2012

Lilies and Related Plants 

Published by The Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group 

80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE, UK 

www.rhslilygroup.org 

Copyright © 2011 RHS Lily Group 

Text and illustration copyright © individual authors. 

ISBN 978-1-902896-84-7 

No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form, by any means, 

electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage 

and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the editor and author. 

Editor: Alan Mitchell 

Hallfield, Star of Markinch, Fife, KY7 6LB, UK 

Tel: +44 (0)1592 759255 e-mail: massmitch@tiscali.co.uk 

Subscriptions and membership: 

Rose Voelcker, Langique, 32380 St Léonard, France 

Tel: +33 (0)5 62 66 43 76 email: rvlangique@wanadoo.fr 

Typeset in Garamond and Frutiger by Rob Kirkham and 

printed at Four Way Print Limited, Launceston, Cornwall 

Opinions expressed by authors are not specifically 

endorsed by the RHS Lily Group. 

Front cover: Nomocharis gongshanensis – a new species from western China (see pp. 54-56) 

Back cover: Lilium fargesii (see pp. 43-46) 

Half title: Fritillaria camschatcencis 

Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group page: 

Lilium sargentiae (pp. 35-42) 

Contents page: Lilium dauricum (pp. 35-42)

LILIES 


2011-2012 

Editor 

Alan Mitchell 

The Royal Horticultural Society 

LILY GROUP

Royal 

Horticultural Society 

Lily Group 

HONORARY OFFICERS 2011 

Chairman Dr Nuala Sterling CBE FRCP 

Tel: +44 (0)1590 612378 

Email: nualasterling@btinternet.com 

Vice Chairman Alisdair Aird 

Email: alisdaira@gmail.com 

Secretary Caroline Boisset 

Tel: +44 (0)1225 864808 

Email: carolineboisset@btinternet.com 

Treasurer Colin Pope 

Email: ColinPope@AL86HW.fsnet.co.uk 

Membership Secretary Rose Voelcker 

Tel: + 33 (0)5 62 66 43 76 

Email: rvlanjique@wanadoo.fr 

Seed Distribution Dr Pat Huff 

Tel: +44 (0)20 7402 1401 

Email: pat.huff@mbmc-crawfordstreet.co.uk 

Yearbook Editor Alan Mitchell 

Tel: +44 (0)1592 759255 

Email: massmitch@tiscali.co.uk 

Newsletter Editor Irene Hopton-Scott 

Tel: +44 (0)1869 277826 

Email: im@hopton-scott.co.uk 

Committee Chris Brickell CBE VMH 

Jeff Coe 

Alan Hooker 

Harris Howland 

Richard Hyde 

Nigel Rowland 

Tim Whiteley OBE VMM JP 

www.rhslilygroup.org

Contents 

Notes on Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2 

The genus Fritillaria in China: a Summary 

by .Martyn .Rix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10 

A novel cross between Lilium philadelphicum and 

Lilium catesbaei 

by .Barry .Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-17 

David Parsons, an appreciation 

by .Richard .Dadd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18-20 

Phenology of Lilium polyphyllum in Garhwal 

Himalaya, India 

by .Anurag .Dhyani .et .al . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21-28 

Lilium parvum 

by .Barbara .Small . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29-34 

Growing Lilium species in the Northwest Territories 

of Canada 

by .Darm .Crook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35-42 

My experience with Lilium fargesii 

by .Rimmer .de .Vries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43-46 

Edward Forbes’ Fritillary and others 

by .Brian .Mathew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46-48 

Nothing succeeds like Lily Group seeds 

by .Carolyn .Richards, .Andree .Connell .and .Nuala .Sterling . . . . . . .49-53 

Nomocharis gongshanensis 

– a new species from western China 

by .Markus .Hohenegger .et .al . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54-56 

Eight wild lily species native to Japan 

by .Kimito .Uchikawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57-64 

Spousal acceptance factor: living with a lily enthusiast 

by .Susann .de .Vries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65-66

Contents 

Lilies of the Julian Alps 

by Alan Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67-73 

Timothy Whiteley, OBE, DL, JP 

by Caroline Boisset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74-77 

The beginnings of a national collection 

by Madeleine Tinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78-80 

Classifying lilies into botanical-utility sections using 

DNA properties 

by Br˘etislav Mic˘ulka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81-84 

Some thoughts on the infraspecific nomenclature 

of lilies 

by Jim McKenney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85-88 

Good companions: Prosartes and Streptopus 

by Paige Woodward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89-95 

A guide to basic lily growing (for those who love lilies) 

by Harris Howland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96-103 

Recovery of the Sandhills lily – Lilium pyrophilum 

by Johnny Randall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104-107 

In search of Lilium ledebourii 

by Mohammad Sadegh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108-112 

Lilies in kodachrome 

by Pontus Wallstén . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113-114 

★ ★ ★ 

About the RHS Lily Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116-117 

Picture credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 

Guidelines for authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

NOTES ON AUTHORS 

Martyn Rix, VMH, is an authority on the genus Fritillaria. At Cambridge he did a doctoral 

thesis on Turkish fritillaries. He was for many years a Botanist at RHS Wisley, and contributed 

significantly to The European Garden Flora, Flora Europaea, The Flora of Turkey and many 

other scientific publications. With Roger Phillips, he is also the co-author of the very popular 

Pan Garden Plants series of books. His monograph on Fritillaria is eagerly anticipated. 

Barry Francis has been interested in gardening as a hobby for most of his life. After reading 

a biography about Luther Burbank he got the urge to try plant breeding and decided on 

lilies. His initial success with lilies has motivated him to learn more about the genus Lilium. 

Richard Dadd has been a member of the Lily Group for over 40 years and served for 15 

years on the Lily Group Committee. He is interested in a wide range of plants, especially 

lilies and alliums. 

Anurag Dhyani was a student at the High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre, Srinagar 

Garhwal, Uttarakhand. The focus of his and his colleagues’ research was L . polyphyllum, 

which they were studying for its medicinal properties. 

Barbara Small has loved lilies since she was a teenager. She and her family often went 

backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, California, and it was during one of these trips that she 

spotted the most beautiful red-orange flower she had ever seen. She had no idea of its 

name, but has since learned that it was Lilium parvum. This, and other encounters with 

native lilies, has committed Barbara to a lifetime of loving lilies. 

Darm Crook was first attracted to lilies when he was growing up on a farm. He started 

growing lilies after he got married in 1965. For some time now Darm has set himself the goal 

of growing a new species every year. While he finds lilies easy to work with, the requirements 

of different species can still present a challenge. 

Brian Mathew said when awarded a medal by Kew in 1992, “bulbs were in my blood from a 

very early age…” As a young student at the RHS in the 1960s, he organised a plant-hunting 

expedition to Iran after winning a Bowles Scholarship travel grant. Many other expeditions 

followed, along with a career in the Herbarium at Kew Gardens. Although primarily a 

botanist, Brian Mathew has published many books aimed at the non-scientific gardener. 

Rimmer de Vries grows rock and alpine plants as well as lilies. He has an eclectic collection 

of hybrid and species lilies, but is particularly fond of North hybrids. Modestly, Rimmer feels 

that any success he has had with lilies is because he stands on the shoulders of giants who 

have graciously mentored and encouraged him along the way. 

Dr Markus Hohenegger is a Botanist who was born in Austria in 1970. Special aspects of 

the symbiotic propagation of terrestrial orchids was the subject of his thesis. After obtaining 

his diploma, he changed career and now works in medicine. Although still interested in 

orchids, he finds lilies fascinating. This led to his most important project, i.e. the creation of 

the website www.the-genus-lilium.com. In 2002 and 2009 he established his own breeding 

programme using species lilies, including the ‘new’ ones from China. 

Carolyn Richards lives in Alresford, Hants. The soil is flinty with pockets of clay, which is 

why she grows lilies in pots. Carolyn is drawn to lilies, both species and hybrids, because of 

their grace and fleeting beauty. 

Andree Connell and her husband Michael live near Victoria, which is on Vancouver Island in 

British Columbia, Canada. The climate is more or less maritime. Andree and Michael grow 

species and hybrid lilies, some of which they have grown from Lily Group seed. 

1

Dr Nuala Sterling, a niece of the market gardener and author Ethelind Fearon, almost chose 

Horticulture in place of Medicine. A short spell at Rohamsted was followed by a lifetime in 

medicine. Nuala enjoys growing plants from seed (bulbs to trees) and found joining the RHS 

Lily Group, in 2004, a revelation, inspiration and education. 

Kimito Uchikawa retired in 1999. Thereafter, his interest in lilies led him to attempt to 

cultivate all of the indigenous lily species of Japan from seed. His love for his native lily 

species overcame his lack of botanical knowledge, and the scepticism of his botanical friends, 

and enabled him to raise almost all of Japan’s lily species within a period of five years. 

Susann de Vries first became interested in lilies when she discovered that the meaning 

of her name was lily. When her husband became interested in gardening she encouraged 

him to grow lilies, partly because they were her namesake, but mostly because of their 

spectacular beauty. 

Alan Mitchell is an optimistic amateur gardener with a passion for growing lilies. He finds 

their difficulty a challenge and their diversity and beauty engaging and therapeutic. 

Caroline Boisset is Secretary of the RHS Lily Group, having edited Lilies and Related Plants 

from 1997 until 2007. She is currently Editor of the International Dendrology Society’s 

yearbook and is constructing a new garden in Bradford-on-Avon, in Wiltshire. 

Madeleine Tinson describes lilies as the perfect plant, in that they are diverse, intriguingly 

beautiful, a challenge to grow and can fill the air with wonderful perfume. 

Br˘etislav Mic˘ulka became interested in lilies when he moved into his own house in 1970. 

He was intrigued by their beauty and the possibilities of hybridization, so he soon started 

crossing lilies even when few lilies were available to him. He was also interested in the 

nomenclature of cultivated plants, which allowed him to organize the registration of the 

variety names of lilies in the RHS register. 

Jim McKenney was in his teens when an older friend gave him her copy of the original 1939 

edition of America’s Garden Book by Louise and James Bush-Brown. The chapter on lilies 

nourished his enthusiasm and guided his early efforts. His first lilies were L . regale, L . henryi, 

L . candidum and the tiger lily. Now, more than half a century later, Jim still remembers with 

great fondness that friend and wishes that she were still here so that he might thank her for 

the gift of his love of lilies. 

Paige Woodward is the co-proprietor of Pacific Rim Native Plant Nursery in British 

Columbia, Canada(www.hillkeep.ca). She grows species from around the temperate world 

and occasionally organizes study tours led by prominent botanists. 

Harris Howland, a past chairman of the Lily Group, has been interested in lilies for over 

40 years and now maintains a relatively good collection of lilies and fritillaries. He also 

collaborated with Michael Jefferson-Brown, on the authorship of the book entitled The 

Gardeners Guide to Growing Lilies. 

Dr Johnny Randall is the Assistant Director for Natural Areas and Conservation at North 

Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina. He is particularly interested in 

ecosystem rehabilitation and restoration. 

Mohammad Sadegh loves all plants and finds their green colour and vibrancy delightful. He 

is especially attracted to lilies and would like to breed a hybrid lily, which would be suitable 

for gardeners in Iran, using Lilium ledebourii. 

Pontus Wallstén has been growing lilies in Switzerland since 1999. After completing his first 

degree he is now studying for a Masters Degree in Journalism. He has a small nursery – Pontus 

Wallstén Plants – where he focuses on growing and propagating lilies and south African 

bulbs. Photography has been one of his main passions since the age of 8. 

2

The genus Fritillaria in China: 

a summary 

In his article Martyn Rix reviews the many Fritillaria species that 

grow in China and how collectors of medicinal plants have 

made finding plants in the wild very difficult . 

Introduction 

China covers as much area as Europe and Turkey combined, from tropical to almost 

arctic climates at sea level to the highest mountains in the world and from desert to 

rainforest, so it is not surprising that it contains a lot of different plant species. What 

is rather surprising is that there are so many Fritillaria species, when Fritillaria are 

primarily Mediterranean bulbs, and it is in Mediterranean climates such as Turkey 

and California where they have reached their maximum diversity. 

The Flora of China, which takes a rather conservative view of the number of 

species, covers 24 species; for comparison, Flora of Turkey contains 31 species 

and several subspecies, and a few more have been described since the account 

was written. 

Links for the Chinese Flora online are: 

http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/PDF/PDF24/fritillaria.pdf 

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=113029 

This outline is based on the Flora, with some modifications and explanations. 

http://fritillariaicones.com/info/names/pub_names_a.html 

One great difficulty in the study of the Chinese species is that they are often very 

difficult to find in the wild; this is because they have been exterminated in the 

more accessible areas by collectors of medicinal plants. Fritillary bulbs, called in 

Chinese, Bei Mu, are one of the most popular Chinese traditional medicines. All 

the species seem to be used, and seem to have much the same properties, to 

soothe the throat and lungs, and to lessen spasm. Coughs and colds are one of the 

chief ailments over large parts of China, and until recently most of the major cities 

were desperately polluted by the burning of very sulphurous coal. In Chengdu 

in the 1980s there were very few cars, but about a million bicycles, and even then 

to breathe the open air was to cough…now there are a million cars and the air 

is cleaner. 

Medicinally Chinese Fritillaria are divided into six main groups: 

1. Zhe beimu from cultivated F . thunbergii. 

2. Yi beimu from Fritillaria walujewii and F . pallidiflora from Xinjiang. 

3

4 

3. Ping beimu from Fritillaria ussuriensis from NE China. 

4. Chuan beimu from Fritillaria cirrhosa, F . sichuanica, F . unibracteata and 

F . przewalskii from Yunnan and the Himalayas. 

5. Hubei beimu from Fritillaria hupehensis. 

6. Anhui beimu from Fritillaria anhuiensis. 

Many new species have been described from central China, by workers who were 

cultivating and studying local Fritillaria for medicinal purposes, and this accounts 

for some of the large numbers of synonyms listed under some species such as 

F . monantha. Other workers, such as the Duans have described lots of varieties, 

which are not recognised by the flora and are listed as synonyms. I expect detailed 

study of the Duan’s varieties will confer wider recognition. 

Mr and Mrs Duan, their collections in the wild and their fritillary farm in the 

mountains of Xinjiang, are described in more detail in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 

vol. 26, parts 1 & 2 (2009), under Fritillaria yuminensis. This article covers 

Chinese medicinal fritillaries in general, and the work done by Christine Leon at 

the Chinese Medicinal Plants Authentication Centre (CMPAC), based at Kew. 

Botanically, China can be divided into four areas. Recent DNA studies at Kew 

indicate that the species have evolved relatively recently, and that most of the 

geographical groups are also related biologically. Similarities in flower shape have 

evolved several times in response to similar pollinators, such as bumble bees, 

solitary bees or dung flies. This is particularly striking in the Japanese species, 

recently covered in a Fritillaria Group lecture by Laurence Hill. 

In contrast to this, one or two species and groups are very isolated: Fritillaria 

davidii is not closely related to any other species, and F . karelinii, which just 

reaches Chinese territory in western Xinjiang, is related to the other species of 

subgenus Rhinopetalum, which are found from Iran eastwards. 

The species may be grouped as follows (numbers from Flora of China are 

in brackets): 

Xinjiang 

Here there has been a remarkable diversification of species in a very small area, 

particularly in the mountains along the border with Kazakhstan. Around 10 species 

are recorded, and more are still being discovered, particularly by the Duans, who 

described Fritillaria . yuminensis, tortifolia and albidiflora: 

Fritillaria karelinii (Fischer ex D. Don) Baker (21). Deserts, Artemisia scrub, 

saline clay soils; from north of the Caspian to northwestern Xinjiang. Short 

upright stems with up to 10 (rarely more) starry pink spotted flowers. Capsules 

not winged.

Fritillaria pallidiflora Fritillaria karelinii 

Fritillaria meleagroides Patrin ex Schult. (2). Dryish places in bogs and moist 

steppes, in peaty soils; from Romania and southern Russia, across Siberia to 

northwestern Xinjiang. Tall stems, nodding at the top, with narrow leaves and a 

solitary blackish or yellow rounded flower. Capsules not winged. 

Fritillaria ruthenica Wikstr. In thickets and rough, grassy places. From southern 

Ukraine, eastwards to Kazakhstan, on the border with western Xinjiang, so may be 

in China, too. Tall stems with the upper leaves in a whorl of 3, forming tendrils. 

Flowers blackish, heavily tessellated, with a linear nectary. Capsules winged. 

Fritillaria pallidiflora Schrenk ex Fischer & C. A. Meyer, (1). Alpine meadows, 

margins of Picea schrenkiana forest and Juniperus scrub in the mountains, 

1300 - 2500m, in peaty and loamy soils, from Kazakhstan in the Dzungarian Ala-tau to 

the Borohoroshan in western Xinjiang; commonly cultivated for medicine. Broad 

alternate leaves and one to several very large pale green or yellowish, squarish 

flowers, lightly tessellated with red. Capsules winged. 

Fritillaria verticillata Willd. (11). Alpine meadows and scrub, in dryish peaty 

soils, in the Altai in Russia, Mongolia and Kazakstan, just extending into northern 

Xinjiang. Narrow opposite or whorled leaves and usually a large solitary pure 

white squarish flower. (This is the form which Janis Ruksans calls ‘Urdzhar’.) 

Fritillaria tortifolia X. Z. Duan & X. J. Chen (13). Dry scrubby and grassy hills, 

with Paeonia anomala, Primula veris var. macrocalyx, Corydalis nobilis etc. in 

stony loam, in Xinjiang south of Yumin. Lowest leaves opposite, c.15mm wide, the 

rest usually paired or in a whorl of three; flowers very broad, white, tessellated 

with crimson, especially inside. Capsules winged. 

5

Fritillaria ferganensis Fritillaria yuminensis 

Fritillaria yuminensis X. Z. Duan (15). Dry scrubby hills, with Juniperus etc. 

in dry, peaty loam, in Xinjiang south of Yumin. Lowest leaves opposite, c.10mm 

wide, the rest usually paired or in a whorl of three; flowers almost flat to bellshaped, 

pale pink or mauve, not tessellated; nectary inconspicuous; style 

undivided. Capsules winged. 

Fritillaria albidiflora X. Z. Duan & X. I. Chen. Very dry, scrubby hills, often 

among Artemisa. In Xinjiang, in the Tar Bagatay mountains near Tacheng, Emin 

and Tuoli. Lowest leaves opposite, c.10mm wide, the rest usually paired or in a 

whorl of three; flowers almost flat, white; nectary conspicuous, 3mm above the 

tepal base; style divided at the apex for c.3mm. Capsules winged. (‘Kara-Sumbi’ 

is simlar to this, but has more angled flowers, in which the lower part of the tepal 

is somewhat reflexed and the nectary is probably deeply indented. It was found in 

eastern Kazakhstan.) 

Fritillaria walujewii Regel (10). Dry grassy slopes in the mountains and in 

juniper bushes. From Uzbekistan to western Xinjiang above Urumuchi in the Tien 

Shan. Lowest leaves opposite, the rest whorled, the upper ones curled; flowers 

large, square, greyish outside, heavily tessellated dark red inside; nectary narrow, 

deeply indented. 

Fritillaria ferganensis A. Los. Rocky screes and steep mossy slopes on limestone 

and in scrub. Uzbekistan, Pamir-Alai; in the Turkestanskiy range west of Tashkent, 

in the Alayskiy range south of Ferghana, and in the Zaalayskiy range on the border 

6

with Tadzikistan, growing on shady rock 

ledges on limestone and in scrub. Recorded 

from China, in the region of Kashgar. Lowest 

leaves opposite, the rest whorled, the upper 

ones curled; flowers square, greenish 

outside, tessellated with pink; nectary large 

6 - 8 × 3mm and shallow, not deeply indented. 

Fritillaria thunbergii Miq (12). Rocky 

slopes? Widely cultivated for medicine; 

probably native in the Tar Bagatai mountains 

in north-east Kazakhstan on the border 

between Kazakhstan and Xinjiang; found 

wild and probably an escape from cultivation 

Fritillaria dagana 

in Japan and in East China in Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, below 600m, in bamboo 

forests, shady and moist places. Lowest leaves opposite, the rest opposite or 

whorled, the upper ones curled; flowers small, rounded, bell-shaped, creamyyellow 

with green veins. Nectary narrow, 3 - 4mm long, forming a groove. 

Manchuria and northeast China, including eastern Siberia 

Four species, very different from one another. Is F . camschatcensis the link 

between the Asiatic and American species, or was there an earlier migration of a 

dagana-like species?. 

Fritillaria maximowiczii Freyn (23). Broad-leaved deciduous forests, moist 

and sandy places on forest margins, thickets, grassy slopes; 1400 - 1500m. Hebei, 

Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning. Bulb of several small scales. Leaves in a basal whorl 

of 3 to 6, usually 5, with 1 bract leaf. Flowers large, solitary, purplish, heavily 

tessellated, the margins of the petals irregularly fimbriated. 

Fritillaria dagana Turcz. ex Trautv. Alpine meadows near Lake Baikal: (not known 

from China at present). Bulb of several, c.6, small scales and with stolons. Leaves 

in a basal whorl of 3, with 1 bract leaf. Flower rather small, greenish tessellated 

with brownish-purple. 

Fritillaria camschatcensis (L.) Ker-Gawl. Meadows, bogs, streamsides; from 

eastern Siberia and Japan along the Kurile Islands to Alaska. Bulb of several 

scales on a solid base, with numerous rice grains. Leaves whorled. Flowers often 

several in an umbel, green, very heavily tessellated with black (or yellowish), with 

numerous parallel ridges from base to apex. 

7

Fritillaria ussuriensis Fritillaria delavayi 

Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim. Ex Trautv. (14). Forests, thickets, meadows, 

streamsides, shady and moist places along the Ussuri river; near sea level to 

500m. Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, eastern Siberia, Korea. Leaves 14 - 17, very 

narrow, the upper coiled on an extension above the flowers. Flowers square, 

very heavily tessellated, appearing blackish. Capsule not winged. 

The central mountains, east and north of the Sichuan Plain 

This can be thought of as old China, containing the cities of Xian, Wuhan, Nanjing. 

Four species: 

Fritillaria anhuiensis S. C. Chen & S. F. Yin (22). Forests, thickets, grassy slopes; 

600 - 900m. Anhui, Henan. Dabeishan. Bamboo forests, shady and moist places; 

near sea level to 600m. Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang. Loosely scaled bulbs with many 

smaller, rice-grain bulblets inside. The stems tall, the rather broad leaves usually in 

whorls; the flowers 3 - 5cm long, are purple and white tessellated or sometimes all 

white or all purple. Nectary conspicuous, deeply indented. 

Fritillaria thunbergii var. chekiangensis (12b). C. Zhejiang (Dongyang Xian). 

Cultivated in Zhejiang for its bulbs, which are used medicinally. Smaller than the 

usual thunbergii, with 3-scaled bulbs, shorter stem, less than 30cm, and leaves 

mostly opposite. 

Fritillaria taipaiensis P. Y. Li (5). Hill thickets, grassy slopes; 2000 - 3200m. Gansu, 

Hubei, Shaan-xi, Sichuan. Leaves many, opposite or whorled, the uppermost 

curved but not coiled; flowers 2.5 - 5cm long, yellowish-green, irregularly blotched 

and mottled with purple-brown rather than tessellated. 

8

Fritillaria monantha Migo (9). Forests, moist places on limestone hills, flood 

lands; 100 - 1600m. Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang. Very leafy 

plant, leaves whorled, the uppermost sometimes coiled. Flowers large, narrowly 

bell-shaped, square at the base, tessellated with purple or brownish; nectary large 

and projecting; style with long branches, 3 - 8mm long. 

Southwest China 

This has a Himalayan flora, which goes north into Sichuan and Gansu west of 

the Sichuan plain. Eleven species: it is still not clear how distinct some of these 

species are: in the case of the species close to F . cirrhosa, the flowers seem to get 

smaller and narrower towards the north and west, ending in the deserts of Qinghai. 

Fritillaria fusca Turrill (20). Moist and gravelly places, open flood lands; 

5000 - 5100m. S Xizang, north of Llasa. A very small, broad-leaved plant with 

blackish flowers. 

Fritillaria delavayi Franchet syn. F . bhutanica Turrill (19). Sandy and gravelly 

places, flood lands; 3400 - 5600m. Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Bhutan, 

Sikkim. Short stems with overlapping, broad, greyish leaves; greyish, rounded 

flowers, slightly tessellated inside: recorded from Bai Ma Shan and from Lijiang. 

Fritillaria sinica S. C. Chen (8). Open thickets, hill grasslands; 3400 - 3600m. 

W Sichuan; on Erlang Shan. Short stems to 30cm, with few (3 - 8) leaves, mostly 

opposite. Flower solitary, tessellated, like F . latifolia. 

Fritillaria dajinensis S. C. Chen (18), syn . F . lixianensis Y. K. Yang & J. K. Wu. 

Thickets, meadows; 3600 - 4400m. NW Sichuan. Flower yellowish-green, dark 

spotted near the base, very narrowly campanulate; style undivided. (Flower like 

F . ehrhartii.) 

Fritillaria crassicaulis S. C. Chen, syn . F . omeiensis S. C. Chen (7). Forests, 

bamboo thickets, alpine grasslands; 2500 - 3400m. SW Sichuan (Mt Omei), NW 

Yunnan (Zhondian plateau, Lijiang). Leafy plants with 10 to 18 lanceolate leaves 

in 3 or 4 whorls of 3 to 6. Flowers large to 5.5cm, green, tessellated with brown 

(Yunnan), or yellow, lightly tessellated (Sichuan). 

Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (4). Forests, alpine thickets, meadows, flood lands, 

moist places; 3200 - 4600m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan. Leaves 

narrow, the upper in a whorl of 3, coiled at the tips. Flowers green or yellowish, 

tessellated with brown, sometimes very heavily tessellated so as to appear black, 

9

sometimes all pale yellow. Nectary usually 

ovate, 2 - 5mm long. 

Fritillaria sichuanica S. C. Chen, syn . 

F . cirrhosa var. ecirrhosa Franch. (3). Hill 

thickets, grassy slopes; 2000 - 4000m. 

S Gansu, S Qinghai, W Sichuan. Similar to 

F . cirrhosa, but with slightly smaller, narrower 

flowers and upper leaves usually solitary, 

without coiled tips. Nectary 4mm long, 2mm 

wide, tear-shaped. 

Fritillaria yuzhongensis G. D. Yu & Y. S. Zhou Fritillaria unibracteata 

(6). Grassy slopes; 1800 - 3500m. Gansu, 

Henan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi. Very similar to F . cirrhosa, but with slightly smaller 

(2 - 4cm), usually yellowish-green flowers; nectary round, 2mm across. 

Fritillaria unibracteata P. K. Hsiao & K. C. Hsia (17a). Thickets, meadows; 

3200 - 4700m. S Gansu, SE Qinghai, NW Sichuan. Similar to F . przwalskii, but 

flowers small, blackish; sometimes grows with F . przwalskii, but sometimes they 

are in separate populations. 

Var. longinectaria (17b) Thickets, meadows; 3200 - 4700m. NW Sichuan. Chang 

xian. Differs in having a very long, narrow nectary, 6-11 cm long, deeply impressed. 

Fritillaria przwalskii (16)Thickets, grasslands; 2800 - 4400m. S Gansu, E Qinghai, 

NW Sichuan (above Woolong). Leaves narrow, all alternate. Flowers yellow, slightly 

tessellated, narrow bell-shaped; style divided at apex for 1mm. Nectary small. 

Fritillaria davidii Franchet (24) Betula alnoides forests, grassy slopes, loose 

peaty soil with ferns, rocky moist places along streams, mossy cliff ledges; 

1600 - 2600m. W Sichuan. Bulb solid, with numerous rice-grains. Leaves growing 

direct from bulb in autumn, flowering in spring; stem leafless except for 1 or 2 

small bracts. Flowers large, purplish-red at the base, yellow at the apex, regularly 

scattered with fat glands. Nectary small and round; capsules unknown. 

Footnote 

This article was first published in Journal 27 of The Fritillaria Group of the Alpine Garden 

Society (2010) and is reprinted here by kind permission of the Society. 

10

A novel cross between Lilium 

philadelphicum and Lilium catesbaei 

Lilium philadelphicum and Lilium catesbaei are not the easiest lilies 

to grow, so it will be interesting to discover if Barry Francis has 

produced a hybrid that will be more amenable for garden cultivation . 

Figure 1. Left, Lilium catesbaei, right, Lilium philadelphicum and centre, the 2nd hybrid to flower. 

Relationship of parents 

The parent species appear to be closely related yet are distantly related to the 

other North American Lilium species. Both have strongly clawed upward 

facing red to red-orange flowers, usually one flower per stem, but they 

grow under conditions which are almost polar opposites. The pod parent 

of this cross is our native prairie lily, Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum. 

L . philadelphicum is very cold hardy and locally it grows in slightly alkaline 

prairie soil among grasses and other prairie plants. Lilium catesbaei grows in 

coastal plains in the southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida, then 

west to Louisiana. L . catesbaei seems to be essentially a bog plant that grows in 

nutrient poor acidic soil. It is probably safe to say that L . catesbaei can grow in wet 

conditions which would normally kill any other lily. The variety from Florida was 

used in this cross. I doubt that it would survive our harsh North Dakota winters 

where temperatures can get down to minus 40 deg F. There are other contrasts 

between these species. I have been told that L . catesbaei is fast growing and short 

lived compared to L . philadelphicum and that L . catesbaei flowers in late summer 

while L . philadelphicum starts to flower in late June. 

Could this be the first flowering of this particular cross? 

To my knowledge, no one else has made this cross and then managed to flower 

11

the seedlings. However, the cross required little effort and this could have been 

done before. All that would hold someone back is lack of access to the two 

species. The 1950 North American Lily Society, NALS yearbook has an article titled 

Lilium Catesbaei, by Samuel L. Emsweller, which indicates that the reverse cross, 

L . catesbaei × L . philadelphicum, was made but no seed was obtained. A slightly 

different account is in Ed McRae’s book, Lilies, A Guide for Growers and Collectors, 

where on page 123 it states: “There is no verified record of Lilium catesbaei 

being used in hybridization, although Emsweller obtained seed by crossing it with 

L . grayi, L . philadelphicum and L . superbum”. 

L . catesbaei is not commercially available and L . catesbaei seed is hard to find. 

It has a reputation of being one of the most difficult of the North American lilies to 

grow. L . philadelphicum is occasionally offered commercially and seed is easy to 

find, but plants can be tricky to grow from seed, slow to reach maturity, and losses 

are often high. Not too many people grow either of these species and even fewer 

would have access to both species. 

Why make the cross in the first place? 

I have a special interest in L . philadelphicum . It is native to my home state of North 

Dakota. I became intrigued with the plant and wanted to learn more about it. I am 

slowly learning some of the tricks of growing this lily, yet in many ways it remains a 

mystery. Making crosses is part of the process of trying to figure things out. I tried 

to cross L . philadelphicum with Asiatic species such as L . dauricum, L . amabile, 

and L . pumilum and to various Asiatic hybrids. I also crossed L . philadelphicum 

with a few North American species and hybrids. I was limited to the pollen I 

had on hand so this was sort of hit or miss, so I had no success. In due course I 

located someone who was willing to collect L . catesbaei pollen and mail it to 

me. The next year I made the cross. The cross proved to be easy to make, pods 

were full of good seeds, and all the seedlings that have flowered are obvious 

hybrids. Now I have to figure out what this hybrid is good for. I am not sure where 

to go from here other than to start the next generation of seeds to see what kind 

of variation shows up in the F2 generation. 

Obtaining pollen, and raising the seedlings 

The internet allowed me to locate and obtain pollen from Nearly Native Nursery 

in Fayetteville, Georgia. Pollen was collected from several different plants and 

used on 6 L . philadelphicum growing in a ‘natural’ area of my garden. Each 

seed pod was full of seed with almost no chaff. I got at least 500 seeds from 

the 6 seed pods. I was not sure how to grow these seedlings but I had previous 

experience with starting various lily seeds in vitro and found this approach was an 

excellent way to get L . philadelphicum off to a good start with very few 

12

Figure 2. Lilium philadelphicum × Lilium catesbaei in jars of culture medium. 

losses. Consequently, the in vitro approach seemed to be the way to go and most 

all of the hybrid seed went directly into tissue culture. I kept the plants in vitro for 

as long as possible with material moved to fresh culture medium about every 4 to 

6 months. After 18 months (February of 2011) a few bulbs put up stems in the jars 

and everything had to come out of culture. Well, almost everything. It is difficult 

to get these fragile tangles of bulbs out of jars without breaking off scales or even 

shattering bulbs. Those left over bits and pieces went back into tissue culture. 

Cultural requirements 

I have not had these hybrids that long, so I cannot make definitive statements about 

cultural requirements. A few of the F1 plants flowered this year and most should 

flower for the first time next year. The bulk of my material is growing in pots and 

will be kept inside over the winter. These do not get any special care. I have been 

using a light garden soil in the pots (which I use for most lily seedlings) and the 

plants are doing well in pots and have been quite easy to grow. So far there have 

been no problems. This is surprising as most lilies, including L . philadelphicum, 

eventually get over watered and start to rot when I grow in pots. I speculate these 

have inherited a resistance to bulb rot from L . catesbaei. 

About 25 seedlings were planted into my garden this July to test cold hardiness 

and garden worthiness. So far the plants are still growing in the garden but this 

winter will be the real test. I also shared about 100 of the tissue culture plants and 

vernalized bulbs with perhaps a dozen individuals who will evaluate these hybrids 

in their own gardens. Others grew these from seed. Everyone has different 

growing conditions and different ideas for growing these. It will take a year or two 

for most of this material to become flowering size plants. At some point I hope we 

can all compare notes. 

So far I understand that one person managed to flower one of the seedlings. 

The lily came out of tissue culture as a small plant in 2010 and flowered in 2011. It 

13

Figure 3. Seedlings in 5 inch pots of soil. 

flowered more quickly than expected. Another planted his seedlings in a bog 

garden and I was surprised to hear that they are doing well under those conditions. I 

wonder, could these be adaptable to the full range of soil conditions that the parents 

would grow in? A couple of people reported that some seedlings overwintered in 

their garden, so perhaps there is some cold hardiness in the seedlings. 

Characteristics 

The photos give an idea of the variation seen in the F1 hybrids. The hybrid 

seedlings grow faster than L . philadelphicum and are quick to flower. The flowers 

are generally intermediate between the two species in size and shape. The red 

colour of the flower is on the surface with a yellow base, making the colour 

elusive as it changes with lighting conditions. Reflected light gives a strong red 

effect; whereas transmitted light gives more of an orange red effect. 

Two of the 19 plants were quite spidery and less attractive. The first hybrid to 

flower was like this, but the flower was stunted and perhaps deformed because the 

flower bud did not develop correctly. The bulb produced a stem in vitro, and there 

was some trouble getting this plant hardened off. The flower bud was stunted and 

should have dropped off, but it flowered anyway. Figure 10 (see p. 17) shows the 

more interesting of these two, which has a rather large region of greenish yellow at 

the base of the tepals. 

The stems are very slender, weak looking, and so far get up to 1ft tall, more or 

14

Figure 4. The 2 nd seedling to flower. 

Figure 5. The 3 rd seedling to flower. 

Figure 6. Left, the 5 th seedling to flower, and right, the 6 th seedling to flower. 

15

Figure 7. Left, the 7 th seedling to flower and right, the 9 th seedling to flower. 



16

Figure 10. The 4 th seedling to flower 

was spidery. 

Figure 11. Bulbs taken out of tissue 

culture, trimmed and vernalized in 

damp cedar chips. 

less. The bulbs are up to 1 inch across, fragile, with scales poking out into harm’s 

way. The scales are jointed in 1 to 3 locations and break off with little effort. Those 

tiny bits of scale generate multiple bulblets when put back into tissue culture. 

L . philadelphicum var. andinum has long and narrow seed pods which are quite 

uniform while the hybrid seed pods are fatter and shorter and shape and size varies 

from plant to plant. Like L . philadelphicum, these can set lots of good looking 

small seeds with very little chaff although I only got a dozen or so seeds from one 

pod. A couple of pods contained over 200 seeds. 

A few final thoughts 

I expect the F2 generation will produce a wider range of variation. F2 seed has 

already been obtained and will be sent to the RHS and NALS seed exchanges this 

year. This seed is the result of intercrossing the plants shown in the photos. I would 

like to encourage others to grow these hybrids from seed and to share the resulting 

plants and seeds with others to ensure long term survival of this material. The 

seed should be easy to start if exposed to light and moisture. There is no need to 

start seed in vitro but I would like to mention that the in vitro approach is a good 

way to start the seed. This approach gives near 100% germination with few losses, 

it gets plants past the juvenile stage where damp off and such can strike down the 

seedlings, and plants initially grow faster than they would in soil. A full account of 

this in vitro approach can be found in the June 1, 2011 issue of the North American 

Lily Society Quarterly Bulletin (Vol 65, No. 2, page 19), the article is titled, An in 

Vitro Germination Experiment with L . philadelphicum and L . philadelphicum × 

L . catesbaei. If anyone has additional questions about the hybrids or about growing 

from seed, or comments in general, feel free to contact me at bfrncs@bepc.com. 

17

18 

David Parsons and his wife Mary. 

David Parsons, an appreciation 

Few can have led such a varied and challenging life as David Parsons . 

Richard Dadd, who knew him for forty years, celebrates his life in 

this appreciation and the contribution he made to the 

Lily Group and the cultivation of lilies . 

David Parsons, who has died at the great age of 94, will be remembered especially 

by older members of the Lily Group. He served on the Lily Committee from 1972 

and was Vice Chairman from 1975 to 1990 (jointly with Mrs Martyn Simmons 

from 1979 to 1982). His charming and urbane manner was evident when he was 

introducing Lily Group meetings or lectures. He would often lead the traditional 

discussion on ‘Lilies in the Show’ that took place on the Tuesday afternoon of 

the July flower show when lilies predominated. Alas, those days have long 

passed. Later in the year he would conduct the bulb auction, adding snippets 

of information about the particular species and cultivars being offered. He also 

contributed articles to the Lily Year Book from time to time. 

Each year from 1932 until 1971 (excluding the war years) the RHS had published 

a lily year book. They were expensive to produce and by 1972 the RHS could no 

longer afford them. But to many in the Lily Group not having a year book was 

unthinkable. David and Derek Fox stepped into the breach and edited a modest 

replacement entitled Lilies 1972 and Allied Plants, and over the next ten years this 

gradually matured into the now familiar Lilies and Related Plants. 

David had led a colourful, bohemian, and very varied life. Actor, soldier, amateur 

naturalist, pig farmer, lily grower: he was all of these – and more. He was born in

1915 to the actress and singer Viola Tree (a daughter of the famous actor manager 

Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree) and the theatre critic Alan Parsons. He was educated 

at Eton and then, following the family tradition, trained as an actor with the Oxford 

Repertory Company. In the 1930s, taking his mother’s surname, he moved into 

films, appearing as David Tree in a string of mostly small parts the most notable of 

which was Freddy Eynsford-Hill in Pygmalion (1938). 

Just as an acting career seemed assured war was declared and he enlisted in 

the Royal Artillery. After rising through the ranks, he was sent to North Wales for 

officer training and stayed on to become an instructor. It was whilst demonstrating 

home-made hand grenades that one exploded prematurely blowing off his left 

hand. Surprisingly, he was not invalided out but was accepted by SOE (Special 

Operations Executive) to command a training school in a remote part of Scotland 

for agents who were destined to be dropped behind enemy lines in Europe. 

At the end of the war, like thousands of others, he had to readjust to civilian 

life. He had abandoned the thought of continuing his acting career, fearing that 

with one hand his range of parts would be too restricted. He always wore a brown 

leather glove to disguise his missing hand. He spotted his future wife on VJ day 

whilst travelling home on leave on the London Underground. In his entertaining 

autobiographical book Pig in the Middle he describes how he was instantly smitten 

and how he discovered her identity in the brief moment he had whilst ascending 

the escalator. She was Mary Vick and in a few months they were married. 

Aside from £2,000 in the bank he had one other asset: his mother had, in a 

moment of affluence before the war, purchased a derelict property in Broxbourne 

consisting of an old Victorian school and two tumbledown cottages set in four 

acres of scrubland. His ambition was to create a smallholding, but as the land 

was not in good heart he had to think of something else. His old commanding 

officer persuaded him that he would make a good teacher, of which there was a 

great shortage at the time. However, David discovered that he would first need 

an honours degree. Two years later he returned with this from Oxford, but then 

could not find a teaching post to his liking. It had to be the smallholding after all. 

It was hard going. Over the years he and Mary tried various schemes – salad 

crops, fruit, bees, ducks, poultry, Saddleback pigs – all with varying degrees of 

success. At the same time the schoolhouse, and then the tumbledown cottages 

and garden, were transformed into an attractive home for their large and growing 

family. It was named Baas Manor after the 15th century manor of which it once 

formed part. However, it was only when they acquired some Danish Landrace pigs 

to breed from that their fortunes really turned. At the Royal Show of 1959 they 

swept the board in first prizes for their pigs which were subsequently auctioned for 

a total of 12,000 guineas. 

By a strange quirk it was the Landrace pigs that fired David’s interest in lilies. 

19

Sandy Best, a well-known Canadian pig breeder, had settled on four of David’s pigs 

to take back with him – but he said he would make it five if he could pay for the 

extra one in lily bulbs – which, it transpired, were his main line of business. This 

was agreed, and ultimately led to David establishing a lily nursery. His aim was to 

supply home-grown bulbs in the autumn when the ground was still warm and lilies 

could make new roots. Many nurseries imported their bulbs in the winter which 

was the worst possible time to plant them. He also wished to breed lilies suited to 

our climate. His best known introduction was a class 1(a) yellow spotless Asiatic 

seedling aptly named ‘Marilyn Monroe’. 

However, the lilies were not profitable. In letters to a correspondent David 

wrote that the lily business was doubtfully lucrative, but that they carried on with 

it in the hope they were giving a service to British gardeners. Indeed they were 

since David would not charge for postage and packing. In another letter he said 

that they were still evaluating the seedlings from Stone and Payne of four years 

ago. They had some lovely things but whether they were in fact better than those 

S & P had registered was another matter. 

By 1977 their main enterprise had become the production of beef calves for 

export to Canada and the USA. David wrote, “We have cut down on our lily-bulb 

production considerably, so that I have more time for the cattle, which are much 

more lucrative. But I still enjoy the lily work – and cannot resist dabbing pollen 

here there and everywhere.” David also had a lifelong interest in natural history, 

and a particular love of butterflies for which he created a wild flower meadow and 

other suitable habitats. 

David was awarded the Lyttel Cup in 1972 for his work with lilies. In the 

following year his acting career was briefly resurrected when he played the headmaster 

Anthony Babbage in Nicholas Roeg’s macabre film Don’t Look Now. The 

house and the lake at Baas Manor Farm were also used for the opening sequences 

of the film. 

David is survived by Mary, a son, and three daughters (another daughter having 

predeceased him). 

Ian David Parsons, actor, soldier and farmer. 

Born 15th July 1915, died 4th November 2009 aged 94. 

20 

★ ★ ★

Phenology of Lilium polyphyllum 

in Garhwal Himalaya, India 

In this article Anurag Dhyani et al record the results of 

studying the phenology of Lilium polyphyllum . 

A. Dhyani 1 , M. Chandra Nautiyal 1 and B. Prasad Nautiyal 2 

1 High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre, Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal Pin- 246174, 

Uttarakhand, India 

2 Department of Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plant Mizoram University, Aizawl 

Pin- 796001, India 

Keywords 

Bulb, climatic variables, high altitude, phenophase, temperate. 

Abstract 

Phenological progression in Lilium polyphyllum was observed under two 

climatically different natural habitats i.e. temperate and high altitude. In nature, 

radicle emergence was observed after 75 days of sowing at 17 - 19°C soil and air 

temperatures. A bulblet was developed after 25 days of germination in July, but 

emergence of the first true leaf was delayed until the next year, 277 days after 

germination. This juvenile phase continued with development of aerial parts 

as well as the bulb and remained for more than 4 years. The juvenile phase was 

followed by the virginal phase during which an above ground shoot, without 

flower, was produced annually for 3 - 4 years, after which the reproductive 

phase began. The flowering period lasts for 15 - 20 days and was at its peak 

when air and soil temperatures ranged from 11 - 19°C and 15 - 17°C respectively, 

in both regions. Initiation of flowering was earlier in the temperate than in 

the high altitude site. Seed setting was initiated during August and continued 

for two months to mature. Thereafter, seed dispersal occurred until mid- 

November. Underground bulbs also showed marked variation in size, number 

of scales and roots during different phenophases. Since phenophases are the 

best indicators of plant responses to the environment, seasonal timing of events 

can be critical for survival of life and reproduction. 

Introduction 

The study of the temporal behaviour of a species is generally termed phenology, 

and it means the study of seasonal appearance and the timing of the life cycle 

events of a plant. Some species are strongly adapted to the long prevailing 

climatic pattern, while others are vulnerable to the slightest change. Data from 

21 

Proc. 23rd Intl. Eucarpia Symp. (Sec. Ornamentals) on “Colourful Breeding and Genetics” 

Part II Eds.: J.M. van Tuyl and D.P. de Vries Acta Hort. 855, ISHS 2010

Lilium polyphyllum 

phenological studies can provide evidence of the effects of climate change on 

species and help in assessing the impact of future changes in climate. Air and soil 

temperature are known to control different phenophases (Diekmann, 1996), and 

they vary with latitude, altitude, type of community, and growth of plant thereby 

influencing the distribution of species. 

In the past six decades, a large volume of work has been published on seed 

dormancy and germination (Baskin and Baskin., 1998; Fenner and Thompson, 

2005). However, most of these reports have dealt with a limited number of 

environmental factors, or have been laboratory based. Thus, a holistic picture of 

germination requirements remains confused. One way to gain insight on seed 

dormancy and germination of a species is to determine its germination phenology 

under natural conditions. 

Altitudinal gradients are among the most powerful natural experiments for 

testing ecological and evolutionary responses of biota to geophysical influence 

(Körner, 2007). Rare and endangered species are important to be considered 

in the context of sensitivity analysis of climate change, as they are already facing 

reproductive stress and habitat degradation. Therefore, observations on different 

phenophases of these species in existing natural habitats along an altitudinal 

gradient are needed to assess the role of environmental factors in ex situ 

conservation and domestication vis a vis to evaluate the threat of global warming 

22

on their survival. Relatively few attempts have been made to understand 

phenological progression of the sub-alpine plants of the North West Himalaya 

(Nautiyal et al., 2001). Certainly, no studies have been done on Lilium polyphyllum 

D. Don ex Royle – a threatened and highly valuable medicinal species. 

Lilium polyphyllum D. Don ex Royle is a perennial, bulbous herb of Liliaceae. 

The species is found in the North-west Himalaya in India, westward of Afghanistan, 

between 2200 - 3200m asl. The species in Garhwal Himalaya was found in two 

extreme climatic conditions, temperate and high altitude. Due to climatic 

variation, morphology as well as phenology of the species was observed during 

the course of this study. However plants of species of both habitats were found 

morphologically more or less similar, but species may have variability at genetic 

level. Bulbs of this species contain various medicinal properties viz., refrigerant, 

galactagogue, expectorant, aphrodisiac, diuretic, antipyretic and tonic (Dhyani, 

2007) and also used for culinary purposes (Dhyani et al., 2009). 

The aim of the present study was: 1. to observe germination phenology of 

L . polyphyllum in its natural habitats i.e. germination type, time period, 

dormancy; 2. to record vegetative and reproductive phenophases viz., juvenile, 

virginal, flowering, fruiting, senescence phases; and 3. to record bulb morphology 

at different phenophases with respect to climatic variables, i.e. air temperature, soil 

temperature and humidity. 

Material and methods 

The study was conducted in two regions viz., Dhanolti; a temperate region 

(2200m asl; 30°.25'N, 078°.15'E) and Gangotri; a high altitude region, (3200m asl, 

30°.59'N, 078°.56'E) in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. The climate of the 

two sites is very different, although topographically both sites are more or less 

similar (north-east aspect with slopes angles of 30 - 34°), having the dominance 

of similar tree canopy (Cedrus deodara). Owing to the proximity of the glacial 

zone, the high altitude region experiences heavy snow fall for almost 4 - 5 months 

(December - April), while the temperate site receives comparatively low snowfall 

during winter. However, intensity and duration of snowfall may vary year to year. 

To observe the germination phenophase, seeds of L . polyphyllum were 

collected in October 2006 from Dhanolti and 100 seeds in triplicate were directly 

sown in a net-covered demarcated plot. Another lot of seeds were shade dried and 

stored in a refrigerator at 1 - 5°C. The moisture content of seeds was monitored 

at three month intervals during storage. After six months of storage, seeds were 

again sown in natural conditions with three replicates of 100 seeds as mentioned 

above. Seeds were observed fortnightly. Emergence of the radicle was considered 

as an indication of seed germination. 

To observe detailed phenology, three plots of approximately 10m 2 sizes at both 

23

sites were marked and 10 individuals were selected randomly. The beginning, 

(shoot emergence) and the end of the vegetative period (senescence), budding, 

flowering, fruiting, seed setting, seed dispersal and senescence (after reproductive 

phase) and morphological characters, viz plant height, leaf length, leaf width, the 

number of leaves flowers and capsule, were recorded. A particular phenophase 

was considered to have started when 10% of the individuals were in that particular 

phase and completed when only 10% of the individuals remained in that phase. 

To record seed setting, 10 flowering individuals of L . polyphyllum were tagged 

at both sites and observed for capsule maturation fortnightly. Final dimensions 

of seeds were recorded after full ripening of capsules. Similarly, bulb growth and 

its morphology were also measured during the shoot emergence, flowering and 

senescence phases of the annual growth cycle. 

Results 

There was no radicle emergence in seeds that were sown immediately after 

collection (October) partially because of natural consequences. Seed storage 

study reveals that seed moisture content was 12.85% initially, although it decreases 

after six months to 11.54% and finally after 12 months to 8.88%. The radicle 

had emerged during June from the seeds sown during April. During radicle 

emergence, air and soil temperature was recorded as 19°C and 17°C and relative 

humidity (RH) 44%. During July, 25 days after germination, the radicle produced 

bulblets. At the time radicle and bulblet length were 1.9±0.9 and 0.6±0.1cm, 

respectively. In addition, bulb diameter was 1.8±0.2mm, 60mg fresh weights with 

two roots of 1.6±0.7cm size at that time. After 45 days of germination the radicle 

withered from seeds. However, the bulblets gained 56% more in length with 44% 

increment in diameter. The number of roots also doubled with 60% increase in 

length by the end of the active growth season. 

After the commencement of the next favourable season (March - April) when airsoil 

temperature was 14°C, bulblets produced the first true leaf. Seedlings at the 

time had 2 - 3 roots and attained approximately 7.6±3.1cm length with 70mg fresh 

weight. This stage continued until June, subsequently the leaf withered during 

July - August. If the favourable condition prevails, bulblets may again produce the leaf 

during September followed by senescence. Observation suggests that the juvenile 

phase in L . polyphyllum may continue for more than 4 years in temperate regions. 

The emergence of the first elongated shoot above ground was an indication 

of the beginning of the virginal phase. Shoot emergence was observed during 

March at 11 - 13°C soil-air temperature in the temperate region. Shoot emergence 

was delayed for 45 days in high altitude as soil and air temperature was still 5°C 

and 9°C, respectively. Vegetative growth was at peak during June-July at both 

sites. Subsequently plants entered into the senescence phase at the end of 

24

season (October - November). The 

virginal phase in L . polyphyllum may 

last for 3 - 4 years in temperate and 3 - 5 

or more years in high altitude regions 

depending upon suitability of the 

climate and soil conditions. 

The reproductive phase starts 

with bud formation (the first week 

of May) in the temperate region and 

is postponed for 60 days at high 

altitude. Flowering was observed 

during mid June in the temperate 

region and after a delay of 15 - 20 days 

at high altitude. However, flowering 

duration remained similar (15 - 20 

days) in both elevations. Following 

pollination, seed setting was earlier at 

high altitude during mid August almost 

10 - 15 days ahead of the temperate site 

indicating climatic adaptation therefore 

suggesting genetic variation among two 

populations of the species. Plants bear 

two capsules and it takes two months 

for maturation. Leaves remained 

green until mid-August, gradually 

turning brown and ultimately are shed 

before seed dispersal. On maturation, 

capsules split along the three sutures 

and globular seeds are dispersed. 

Observation on bulb morphology 

reveals that at high altitude the bulb 

was located deeper in the soil than 

in the temperate region during the 

shoot emergence (vegetative growth 

Lilium polyphllum with impressive 

inflorescence. 

phase). Since, underground bulbs are the only means to ensure next year’s growth 

during the vegetative growth phase, plants tend to protect bulbs against frost/ 

adverse conditions. This feature may be attributed to adaptation strategies of the 

species to cope with a harsh climate at high altitude. However, the bulbs at the 

temperate site were phenotypically superior. Notably, bulb diameter was reduced 

along with weight during flowering period at both sites. 

25

Close up of Lilium polyphyllum flower. 

Discussion 

Observation reveals that seed germination in L . polyphyllum was hypogeal and it 

takes nearly 100 days to develop bulblets after sowing. Contrary to this, Baranova 

(1977) reported 45 days for bulblet formation in other Lilium species. Subsequently, 

the bulb of L . polyphyllum increased considerably in size as the reserve of food is 

mobilized from seed and uptake of water by roots for the next three months. This 

was followed by stratification during the winter season (November-February) which 

helps vernalization of bulblets in nature. As a result, bulblets readily produce the 

epicotyl (first true leaf) at the commencement of a favourable growth season in 

March. Observations suggest epicotyl dormancy in L . polyphyllum, therefore it 

requires two growth seasons to produce the first leaf. It is one of the seven types 

of morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) of the seeds. Seeds with MPD require a 

warm and/or cold stratification to break the physiological dormancy and promote 

growth of the embryo (Baskin and Baskin, 1985). Besides, exposure of bulblets 

to winter stratification, the quantity of stored food material is also a detrimental 

factor for the formation of first foliage leaves as reported in a high altitude species 

(Lattoo et al., 2001). 

As the first green leaf appears the plant totally depends on it for the 

photosynthesis and this may be the reason of slow juvenile growth. At this stage, 

the plant usually has one or two scales along with a single leaf, in Lilium species, as 

26

eported earlier by Baranova(1977). In the first year, seedlings of L . polyphyllum 

only develop the main root for two or three months. Later on, many adventitious 

roots are developed which last for 2 - 3 years. In the subsequent years, the number 

of roots increases with increasing leaves and the bulb scales as reported by 

Baranova (1977). After sufficient food reserve was built up in the bulb, the 

terminal growing point on the basal plate of the bulb forces its way upwards and 

forms a shoot above ground. Snow melting and continuous temperature rise in 

February-March, acts as a powerful trigger to terminate the bulb dormancy of 

L . polyphyllum. Most lilies require an exposure to low, non-freezing temperatures 

to accelerate shoot emergence and flowering. Consequently, the virginal phase 

commences as the first shoot emerges during March - April. Finally, aerial parts 

start their growth and the plants ultimately have their final appearance without a 

flowering stem. In the subsequent years, the number of the leaves on each shoot 

increased until it was enough for flower formation. This period may last from one 

to several years as it depends upon the growing conditions and the species as 

reported by Baranova (1987). 

The time of initiation for a particular phase often varied considerably from 

place to place and to a lesser degree, between years at a given place (Holway and 

Ward, 1965). Investigations have shown temperature to be the prime controlling 

factor. However, in present observations besides altitude, the proximity to snow 

of high altitude sites may determine the duration and fate of the different phases. 

Also, different phenophases of plants are generally determined by an interaction of 

both genetic and environment factors (Diekmann, 1996). 

Snow cover duration was longer (December - April) at high altitude than in 

the temperate region (January - February). Consequently, bud formation of 

L . polyphyllum was earlier in the temperate region and was delayed due to 

late growth initiation at the high altitude site. However, the duration of bud 

development was shorter at the high altitude than at the temperate site. Flowering 

is determined by the photoperiod along with temperature, humidity and at high 

altitude by timing of snowmelt (Kudo and Hirao, 2006). 

Our observation of L . polyphyllum reveals that it took more than 7 - 8 years to 

flower from seed in the temperate region. Baranova (1987) reported 1 - 8 years for 

flowering in other Lilium species. In L . polyphyllum, flowering appeared when an 

average 40 - 45 leaves had developed on shoots at both regions. However, Baranova 

(1987) reported 100 leaves in L . pyrenaicum and eight leaves in L . pumilum at the 

time of flowering. L . polyphyllum is self incompatible like most of the lilies and 

pollinated by insects (Dhyani et al., 2009). Low seed setting in L . polyphyllum at high 

altitude regions may be due to hailstorms and frosting, resulting in delayed maturation 

and seed abortion. The claim was also supported by Kudo and Hairo (2006). 

It is imperative to understand the morphological variations of the under- 

27

ground bulb at different phenophases of plant life as it ensures next year’s 

sprouting. In addition to adventitious roots, bulbs also possess contractile 

roots. These roots are longer and have the primary function to anchor and 

pull bulbs deeper into the soil during harsh climatic conditions. Temperature 

fluctuations at the surface determine how long the contractile roots will continue 

(Waisel, 1998). Every year the bulb produces new scales and the old scales dry 

and die off. In young plants the number of newly formed scales is greater than the 

number of dying scales, as a result the bulb increases in length and weight. During 

flowering, the outer scales of the bulb are completely depleted thus, resulting in 

reduced diameter and weight. 

Acknowledgements 

The work was financially supported by IERP, GBPIHED, Almora, Uttarakhand, India. First 

author is thankful to CSIR- HRD and Department of Ayush, New Delhi, India to provide fund 

to attend the 23 rd International Eucarpia Symposium (Section Ornamentals) on “Colourful 

Breeding and Genetics” in the Leiden, The Netherlands. Authors are also thankful to Prof. 

Carol. C. Baskin and Jerry. M. Baskin for their review and suggestions on the manuscript. 

Literature cited 

Baranova, M. V. (1977). Special seed germination modes and the development of seedlings 

in lilies. The Lily Yearbook of North American Lily Society 30:26-34. 

Baranova, M.V. (1987). The structure and development of lilies. The Lily Yearbook of North 

American Lily Society 40:87-96. 

Baskin, J. M. and Baskin, C. C. (1985). Germination ecophysiology of Hydrophyllum 

appendiculatum, a mesic forest biennial. Amer . Jour . of Bot. 72:185-190. 

Baskin, C. C. and Baskin, J. M. (1998). Seeds: Ecology, biogeography and evolution of 

dormancy and germination. Academic Press, San Diego, California, USA. 

Dhyani, A. (2007). Exploring Lilium polyphyllum in Uttarakhand, India. The Lily Yearbook 

of North American Lily Society 60:79-82. 

Dhyani, A., Bahuguna, Y. M., Semwal, D. P., Nautiyal, B. P. and Nautiyal, M. C. (2009). Anatomical 

features of Lilium polyphyllum D. Don ex Royle (Liliaceae). Jour . of Amer . Sci. 5(5):85-90. 

Diekmann, M. (1996). Relationships between flowering phenology of perennial herbs and 

meteorological data in deciduous forests in Sweden. Can . Jour . of Bot. 74:528-537. 

Fenner, M. and Thompson, K. (2005). The Ecology of Seeds. Cambridge University Press, UK. 

Holway, J.G. and Ward, R.T. (1965). Phenology of alpine plants in Northern Colorado. 

Ecology 46:73-83. 

Korner, C. (2007). The use of altitude in ecological research. Tren . in Ecol . and Evol. 

22(11):569-574. 

Kudo, G. and Hirao, S. A. (2006). Habitat-specific responses in the flowering phenology and 

seed set of: alpine plants to climate variation: implications for global-change impacts. 

Popul. Ecology. 48:49-58. 

Lattoo, S. K., Dhar, A. K. and Jasrotia, A. (2001). Epicotyl seed dormancy and phenology of 

germination in Polygonatum cirrhifolium Royle. Curr. Sci. 10 Dec. 81:11. 

Nautiyal, M. C., Nautiyal, B. P. and Prakash, V. (2001). Phenology and growth form distribution 

in an Alpine pasture at Tungnath, Garhwal Himalaya. Mount. Res. and Dev. 21(2):177-183. 

Waisel, Y. (1998). Biology of root formation and development. In: Hingham (eds.), MA: 

Kluwer Academic. 

28

Lilium parvum 

Barbara Small has been attracted to Lilium parvum since she was a 

young girl . Is it because ‘parvum’ means ‘small’ or is it because of the 

beauty and variety of this dainty lily? To find out read on . . . 

“Columbine and larkspur grow on the dryer edges of the meadows, with a tall 

handsome lupine standing waist-deep in long grasses and sedges. Castilleias, 

[Indian Paintbrush] too, of several species make a bright show with beds of violets 

Lilium parvum plants growing in a 

wet spot. 

at their feet. But the glory of these forest meadows is a lily. The tallest are from 

seven to eight feet high with magnificent racemes of ten to twenty or more small 

orange-coloured flowers; they stand out free in open ground, with just enough 

grass and other companion plants about them to fringe their feet, and show them 

off to best advantage. This is a grand addition to my lily acquaintances, a true 

mountaineer, reaching prime vigour and beauty at a height of seven thousand 

feet or thereabouts... [It took] many centuries of Nature’s care planting them and 

watering them, tucking the bulbs in snugly before winter frost, shading the tender 

shoots with cloud drawn above them like curtains, pouring refreshing rain, making 

them perfect in beauty, and keeping them safe by a thousand miracles …” 1 

1 Muir, John. My First Summer in the Sierra, 94. 

A single bloom lit by the sun shows the 

delicate beauty of Lilium parvum to 

full advantage. 

29

John Muir’s eloquent description of 

Lilium parvum makes the image of this 

beautiful lily and its lush surroundings 

come to life. According to Edward 

A. McRae, the word parvum means 

small. 2 This term could certainly be 

misleading since some of the plants 

are quite tall; however, the flowers 

are among the daintiest of the North 

American species lilies. The plant 

was first identified in 1862 by Albert 

Kellogg, botanist and founder of the 

California Academy of Sciences. Since 

that time, eminent British botanist 

William Stearn (1911-2001) identified 

the first sub-species variety crocatum 

in 1947 and another sub-species, variety 

hallidayi, was named after Geoffrey 

Halliday. Yet a third type (certainly not 

a sub-species) – interestingly named 

the “Ditch Lily” – may be found in the 

Central Sierra Nevada. 

The bulbs of Lilium parvum are 

small, about half the size of a lime; the 

older, single-jointed scales are dark 

cream in colour while the newer ones are white or light cream. All references that I 

have checked state that the bulb is “shortly rhizomatous” and Elwes shows the bulbs 

multiplying, 3 but very seldom have I seen two or more bulbs side-by-side as occurs 

with Lilium pardalinum whose bulbs are so rhizomatous that they are not only 

side-by-side but often even atop one another. Rather, individual plants are usually 

a foot or more from each other. Depending on age and elevation, the stem may be 

anywhere from one to eight feet high. Younger plants’ leaves are usually scattered, 

while those of older plants are whorled at the bottom and scattered at the top. Young 

plants may have only one flower while more mature ones may carry as many as 

30 flowers. Flower orientation is most often out/down-outfacing, but occasionally 

flowers may be upfacing or even completely downfacing. The flowers are bellshaped, 

recurving toward the tips of the tepals. The tepals are usually rounded 

2 McRae, Edward. Lilies: A Guide for Growers and Collectors, 175. 

3 On the net, type “Elwes parvum”. 

30 

Lilium parvum, from Elwes’s Monograph 

of the Genus Lilium.

PACIFIC 

OCEAN 

OREGON to the North 

Del 

Norte Siskiyou 

Humboldt 

Trinity 

Mendocino 

Lake 

Tehama 

Glenn 

Shasta 

Butte 

Colusa 

Sutter Yuba 

Modoc 

Lassen 

Plumas 

Sierra 

Nevada 

Placer 

Yolo 

El Dorado 

Sonoma Napa 

SACRAMENTO 

Amador 

Alpine 

Marin 

SAN FRANCISCO 

San Mateo 

Santa 

Cruz 

Solano 

Contra 

Costa 

Alameda 

Santa 

Clara 

San 

Joaquin 

Monterey 

Stanislaus 

San Benito 

Calaveras 

Merced 

San Luis 

Obispo 

Tuolumne 

Mariposa 

Kings 

Santa Barbara 

Madera 

Fresno 

NEVADA to the East 

MEXICO to the South 

but occasionally pointed. Lilium parvum usually contain a few spots in the lightercoloured 

throat, but some of the lighter-coloured orange flowers may have no 

spots and the colour may be consistent. The ‘normal’ colour is usually yelloworange, 

orange or red-orange. The variety crocatum (Stearn) is yellow-orange 

with very small spots. Curiously, Lilium maritimum, which grows close to the 

Pacific Ocean, and Lilium grayi from the east coast, are almost dead ringers for 

Lilium parvum. The flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds, western tiger 

swallowtails, pale swallowtails and various bees. Seeds germinate hypogeally in 

autumn and show their first leaves the following spring. Among the west coast 

lilies, Lilium parvum is the quickest to flower from seed, generally taking only 

Mono 

Ventura 

Tulare 

Kern 

LOS ANGELES 

Inyo 

Orange 

San Bernardino 

San Diego 

Riverside 

Imperial 

ARIZONA to the 

South East 

31

three years before its dainty bells appear. All plants are fertile and the very small 

seeds are plentiful. 

The variety hallidayi occurs in Kings Meadow, a private, gated property in 

Eldorado County north east of Placerville. Here are varying shades of pink, purple 

and everything in between. The centres are often much lighter, even white, and 

spotting is more pronounced. For a while, I believed that this meadow was the 

only location for the variety, but a study of detailed maps makes me think that 

there must be other locations nearby. From the meadow, Slab Creek runs west and 

then south west, eventually joining the south fork of the American River. Farther 

north, Stumpy Meadows Lake drains west and then west-northwest, part of it being 

diverted into the Georgetown ditch which provides its residents with water. The 

two streams never meet. However, it is obvious that some, if not many, seeds of 

Lilium parvum var. hallidayi have floated down the stream from Stumpy Meadows 

Lake, germinated, and then cross-pollinated with the local orangish forms of 

parvum. Along the ditch grew lilies in all combinations of colours: light pink, 

pink, coral, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange and dark violet. These are the lilies 

called “Ditch Lilies.” Several years ago, I asked permission from the Georgetown 

Water District manager to hike upstream alongside the ditch to determine where 

the ‘normal’ parvum grow and to find the source of variety hallidayi. The 

manager paused, looked me carefully up and down, and then told me that such 

a hike wouldn’t be safe. After much evasion, he led me to believe that not only 

was the area good for parvum, but also for marijuana. Now that I have more 

gray hair and wrinkles, I might try again since the farmers wouldn’t fear me. The 

word ‘grew’ refers to the fact that the Georgetown ditch had literally been a ditch 

which leaked precious water into the surrounding areas, making a perfect place 

for wet lilies. Since California has been experiencing more and more drought-like 

conditions, the Georgtown Water District decided to cement the bottom and sides 

of the ditch. The last time I visited the area, I found only purple flowers. 

Ed McRae and I often discussed the various west coast lilies, and he agreed 

that many of the descriptions of these plants and their locations have simply been 

copied from previous literature. This article is my attempt to describe Lilium 

parvum and its habitat from first-hand experience. 

Just where might this delicate lily be found? Various authors disagree about its 

northern boundaries. Hortus Third (1976) reads “Mts. California” and on the net, 

Calfora Plant Observation Library cites two studies that state it is “endemic (limited) 

to California alone [Lum/Walker]. 4 Derek Fox was at least forthright: “The precise 

range of distribution is not too easy to define in its northern limits at least. It 

is as far south as Fresno County and is found along the Sierra Nevada on both 

4 On the net, type “Calflora parvum”. 

32

sides of the range to Lassen County. Some literature states that it is also found 

in the Cascades of southern Oregon, but Purdy said ‘it is found only in the Sierra 

Nevada.’” 5 Michael Jefferson-Brown and Harris Howland (1995) wrote that its 

location is “up the Sierra Nevada of California to the Cascade Mountains of South 

Oregon” 6 , a statement to which Ed McRae (1998) agreed. 7 On the net, Wikipedia 

states “…it is native to the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada.” Calflora is 

probably the most accurate, listing the counties where Lilium parvum has actually 

been seen: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, 

Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Bernardino, Sierra, Tehama, 

Tulare and Tuolumne 

Lilium parvum, also known as the Alpine Lily or the Sierra Tiger Lily, may be 

described as one of the wettest of the ‘Wet Land Lilies.’ All of them may be found 

along very small streams or in wet meadows surrounded by Yellow Pine, Lodgepole 

Pine or Red Fir. Derek Fox wrote ‘Snow lies until June or July and there is plentiful 

moisture but by the end of the dry season the soil is bone dry. 8 This statement may 

be true for those lilies at elevations above 8000 or 9000 feet, but most of the Lilium 

parvum that I have seen grow in perpetually wet areas. Most of them are not 

watered by snow melt but by springs which feed the meandering creeks. When 

I collect seeds in the fall, the streams are still running and the ground is moist. 

L . parvum is never found by larger streams or rivers as the current would dislodge 

not only the season’s seeds but in some cases the bulbs themselves. 

The elevation of these plants is also in dispute. Calflora states that the lily grows 

“between 4000 and 8000 feet [Calflora 2004 feet],” 9 Ed McRae wrote “4900 to 9800 

feet” 10 and Brown and Howland state “5000 to 10,000 feet.” 11 The lowest elevation 

that I have observed is near Georgetown, CA at 2,654 feet, and the “Ditch Lilies” are 

not much higher. I suspect that Lilium parvum grows at lower elevations in the 

very northern counties such as Lassen. While hiking in the Sierra Nevada, I once 

came across a parvum at just under 10,000 feet in Yosemite National Park. 

Finally, I must dispute Vollmer, cited in Fox, concerning the relationship of 

colour and elevation: “beginning at an elevation of about 4500ft (1370m), it is pure 

yellow, but as one ascends the mountains it becomes orange, and at the higher 

elevations it is dark red, and all are spotted maroon.” 12 I have seen yellow-orange, 

5 Fox, Derek. Growing Lilies, 176. 

6 Brown/Howland, The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Lilies, 68. 

7 McRae, Edward, Lilies: A Guide for Growers and Collectors, 175. 


9 On the net, type “Calflora parvum”. 

10 McRae, Edward, Lilies: A Guide for Growers and Collectors, 175. 

11 Brown/Howland, The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Lilies, 68. 


33

orange and red-orange at varying locations, all at vastly different elevations. The 

most wonderful place I have ever found Lilium parvum is at Alpine Meadows, a 

favorite ski area located off Highway 89, just south of Squaw Valley, base elevation 

6835 feet. Our daughter Laura secured a key to the chain across the road, and 

we hiked up and to the right of the lodge to find ourselves in an area with at 

least five or six small streams making their gentle way downward. Here are literally 

hundreds of parvum of every colour – yellow, orange, red and everything in 

between – growing together happily. What a sight! Vollmer surely reported what 

he saw, but his generalization is certainly mistaken. 

So, to find these wonderful lilies by yourself, you must be at the correct 

elevation – best results will be around 5000 - 7000 feet, and somewhere in the Sierra 

Nevada or southern Cascades (the very north-east part of California). It is not 

easy to see where springs or small streams might be located, so the first clue is to 

look for Quaking Aspen (populous tremuloides). These delightful trees are often 

found in canyons (where the water will be flowing too fast for Lilium parvum), but 

they are sometimes located on side-hills and meadows. Patches of level space on 

the side-hills and the meadows are what you want. Surrounding these meadows 

you may first see Yellow Pine or Lodgepole Pine; you will find Red Fir if you search 

above 7000 feet. The Sierra Nevada acts as a barrier for rain and snow, so moisture 

coming from the Pacific is limited on the east side of the Sierra. I have located 

Lilium parvum in a few sites to the east of the Sierra crest, but unless there are 

springs, your best bet is the west side of the mountains. 

The only source for Lilium parvum is Pacific Rim Native Plant Nursery which 

sells the bulbs for $30.00. They have a waiting list for variety hallidayi. Since 

the seeds flower in such a short time, you are probably better off starting from 

seed. However, if you garden in one of the warmer climates, just enjoy the pictures 

of this dainty lily – I killed several of them trying to make them grow in zone 9. Not 

only do they need lots of water, but they also enjoy a snow cover during the winter 

and (according to the literature) they detest areas with high humidity. 

Are Lilium parvum in danger? Many of the “Ditch Lilies” are gone. Lilium 

parvum used to grow in the marshy areas to the west of Donner Lake, just north 

of Lake Tahoe, but now houses have replaced the native plants. Many grew in 

Coldstream valley, south of Donner Lake, but bulldozers have changed the course 

of the meandering creek to provide a place for a paved road, so the lilies are gone 

there too. Fortunately, most of John Muir’s “true mountaineers” grow in areas 

inaccessible to bulldozers and cars. They remain, so far kept safe by “a thousand 

miracles.” 

34 

★ ★ ★

Growing Lilium species in the 

Northwest Territories of Canada 

– a geographically cold area 

Growing fifty species lilies in the far north of Canada might seem 

incredible, but after reading this article by Darm Crook you 

will know how it’s done . 

Growing Lilium species north of the 60 th latitude, in Zone 1 on the Canadian scale, 

has been a project of mine for well over twenty years. So far each Lilium species 

I’ve managed to grow has had a unique simplistic beauty of its own which I have 

yet to see matched by any hybrid I’ve grown. My favourite Lilium species changes 

from year to year, but it tends to be the newcomer, i.e. the one that has never 

flowered in my beds before. Some years that’s a hard call when there are two or 

three new ones that flower; in that event it will usually end up being a species with 

pendent flowers. 

This past summer (2010) forty five different Lilium species plus thirty seven of 

their varieties grew and flowered in my lily beds. There are others that are still at 

the un-flowered seedling stage. When this project was embarked on a personal 

goal was set, which was to flower at least one new, to my garden, Lilium species 

or variety per year. So far there has been no disappointment, with some year’s 

as many as three new species or varieties flowering. Probably the hardest part of 

Lilium superbum Lilium monadelphum 

35

Lilium bulbiferum var. chaixii Lilium cernuum 

achieving this goal was at the very start when it was almost impossible to find Lilium 

species seed and if found to pry them loose from those that had the seed. Who 

in their right mind would want to send Lilium species seed to a guy that thinks he 

could grow them in a Zone 1 environment north of the 60 th latitude? Everybody 

knows Lilium species can’t be grown that far north. After retirement in 1999, and 

learning how to turn on a computer, I found out that Societies like the RHS and 

NALS had lily seed exchanges, which made the task of finding seed much easier. 

In the Northwest Territories of Canada, which is where I live, reliable snow 

cover provides the required winter mulch. This area receives anywhere from 61cm 

(24 inches) to 122cm (4 feet) of snow each winter. The type of snow is light and 

fluffy and because of a lack of wind at ground level it doesn’t wind-pack or form a 

surface crust. By the time real cold weather sets in there is an adequate supply of 

mother nature’s white mulch. With 61cm of snow at -40°C (-40°F) the soil’s surface 

temperature only drops to a -2°C (+10°F). Snow is almost always here to stay by 

the end of October and at that time the soil will usually only have a crust of frost on 

its surface. The spring snow melt helps thaw the soil quickly and gives the bulbs in 

a raised bed a quick drink to start their seasonal growth. Without raised beds the 

soil is totally saturated for at least two weeks. With the Lilium bulbs in raised beds 

only the soil below the beds is saturated. A well drained soil even in early spring 

disperses the excess water. 

Just because a Lilium species grows well here does not mean each of its 

varieties will do the same. An example of this phenomenon is found with 

L . lancifolium. The diploid form and several triploid varieties do well but varieties 

flaviflorum and flore-pleno struggle to survive. With L . maculatum the varieties 

monticola and dauricum do well but the type (late form) and variety flavum 

do not. 

36

Lilium kelloggii Lilium parvum var. hallidayi 

You have probably heard the view that “growing species lilies is hard if not 

impossible to do”. In my opinion that is not the case. In fact they are not that 

much more difficult to grow than any other genus of plants. Each genus has 

its own needs and species within each genus can all have differing needs. The 

view that growing lilies is very difficult has probably served to scare off a lot of 

potential growers of Lilium species without any sound rational reasoning behind 

it. However, I would admit that to be able to grow Lilium species successfully 

you cannot be afraid of hard work and – if your memory is not reliable – be ready 

to keep records of what does and does not do well in meeting each Lilium 

species’ needs. 

Most Lilium species seem to be perfectly cold hardy and able to survive a 

Canadian Zone 1, i.e. very cold, winter. And although winter, in a Zone 1 area, 

might be thought to be the most obvious proverbial straw that broke the camel/ 

lily’s back, it really isn’t the major demon that destroys lilies. There are other 

perhaps more important reasons that Lilium species don’t survive in cold and short 

seasoned growing areas, or any other geographic areas for that matter, and those 

reasons are fundamental. I’m a firm believer that if a Lilium species, or hybrid, is 

given the right foundation, which is the soil they grow in; they will survive. Most 

mature Lilium species, and even hybrids, do not survive being moved from a 

warmer Zone to a colder Zone – specifically Zone 1 – but seed grown lilies adapt 

to the climatic conditions they grow up in. Some species are lost the first or even 

during the second or third attempt to grow them from seed. Therefore, when I 

obtain seeds I never plant all of them that year. The first or several seed sowings 

could be lost trying to ascertain the seeds germination method. Only a third, if 

twenty four or more seeds are obtained, are planted during each attempt to grow 

a new Lilium species. If the first attempt succeeds, providing there is room to 

37

grow them, the following year the rest of the seeds are planted. Another essential 

is patience, as some lilies can take anywhere from four to seven years from seed to 

first flowering, without enduring patience a person will be sorely disappointed, but 

with the required patience will be richly rewarded. 

The learning curve is steep, so before heading out on a project to grow Lilium 

species it’s best to get to know lilies in general and the signs they will give you 

if the soil and other growing conditions are not totally to their liking. You can 

do this by practising on hybrids. Learning to decode what a lily is telling you is 

something that can only, in reality, be learned by experience. You can read some 

books on the subject and they will describe symptoms, but they won’t teach you 

what’s happening until you actually observe what the lilies themselves are telling 

you. A book can describe a virus symptom as curled or twisted foliage and random 

streaking. A late frost can create foliage conditions that match that description, but 

with experience the two can be told from one another. This knowledge is probably 

required more in a cold Zone area than in moderate ones, such as Zones 2 or 3. In 

Zone 1 if the signs the lilies are giving a person are not read correctly – and acted 

on – the lilies will be lost. Sometimes that loss can’t be helped, but lessons from 

those particular lilies need to be learned, so the problems can be overcome with 

the next planting. There are also a few other points to consider, such as: 

38 

• when to start the seeds • well drained soil 

• required dry soil • required wet or constantly moist soil 

• control of foliage disease • length of growing season 

• high humus soil • pH of soil 

• fertilizing - can soil be too rich for • dealing with late spring frosts 

some lilies? 

In my experience, if each Lilium has the right conditions, as covered in the points 

listed above, they will survive, flower, set seed (if the growing season is long 

enough for them to do so) and continue to grow in the garden for year – excluding 

of course species such as L . formosanum which are not cold hardy. Even in an 

environment that has a growing period which is too short for some lilies there are 

still ways to obtain seed, such as ripening the pods off with the stem plunged into 

a potato. 

Let’s examine the points listed with some information on each: 

When to start the seeds 

The seedlings have to be mature enough to survive their first winter under a snow 

bank. At the same time they can’t be started so early that they senesce in the 

middle of summer. Through trial and error a seed planting time of mid November

has worked well in Zone 1 for most Lilium. There are a couple of exceptions where 

these Lilium species naturally senesce early, i.e. L . philadelphicum var. andinum 

and L . nanum. Starting these two species should be done in mid-January. To start 

most of the other Lilium species, or hybrids, in mid-December or later will lead to 

their loss during the first winter, unless you want to grow them for two years before 

planting them out. Starting delayed hypogeal seeds in early November gives them 

a 4 month incubation period and a twelve week dormant (cold) period by planting 

out time, i.e. late May to early June. 

Well drained soil 

The need for a well drained soil is paramount for any lily, even those that like or 

need plenty of moisture. If the soil isn’t naturally well drained it can be achieved 

with raise beds. The soil needs to drain water nearly as fast as you apply it and 

should leave the bed moist not wet. A 1.2m (4 feet) × 2.4m (8 feet) bed by 26cm 

(10 inches) deep should be able to take 95 litres (15 gallons) of water in a couple 

minutes and within 5 to 10 minutes have just moist soil. Most Lilium species will 

do exceptionally well in raised beds and a high humus content well drained soil, 

as long as the pH is set to their specific needs. The high humus soil should be at 

least 26 cm (10 inches) deep. 

Some lilies require a dry soil 

L . tsingtauense needs a dryer soil than the average Asiatic hybrid. If L .tsingtauense 

is watered with the same amount as Asiatic hybrids require, the foliage will turn 

yellow, the bulb will become loose and be lost during the winter. L . papilliferum 

needs even dryer growing conditions, so if the soil is as moist as Asiatic hybrids 

need the roots and then the bulb, of papilliferum, will simply rot within about a 

month. A moist well-drained soil is too wet for these two species, a well-drained 

dry soil is what they need. That is achieved, in my area, without watering, as 

meteorologically this area is considered to be a desert due to the small amount of 

summer precipitation that is usually received. In other areas, it may be achieved by 

planting these lilies on an inclined surface so most precipitation can simply drain 

downhill from the lily. 

Some lilies require a wet or constantly moist soil 

L . canadense and L . superbum require a consistently moist, but still well drained, 

high humus acid-based soil. L . canadense will survive with Asiatics but not do well, 

as an Asiatic bed will be a little on the dry side for L . canadense. Planted in an area 

where these two species can be watered often will allow L . canadense to perform 

as well under cultivation in a Zone 1 environment, as it does in its natural habitat. 

L . superbum will also perform almost as well as it does in its natural habitat. 

39

40 

Disease control 

Perhaps in moderate temperatures a lily 

can withstand being struck with botrytis 

more then two years in a row. In Zone 

1 if botrytis hits two years in a row and 

isn’t controlled the lilies will be lost 

during the second winter. Some won’t 

even withstand a one year attack, but 

those lilies also have other problems 

growing in Zone 1. 

Length of the growing season 

Orientals have problems in the North, 

as the growing season is simply too 

short and over a 5 to 7 year period they 

Lilium canadense 

gradually decline. Oriental species if 

struck with botrytis that isn’t controlled 

are lost that winter. Orientals will not survive in dappled shade in this area and the 

bulbs will not tolerate a soil that the sun beats down on, so they need companion 

plants to shade the soil. 

Trumpet species like L . sargentiae don’t fare well in a short growing season, but 

they continue to survive for years. However, they may never flower. A greenhouse 

heated, as required, between early March and early November is the solution for 

these types of trumpets, as it extends their growing season. It won’t work for 

the Orientals as it simply gets to hot in a greenhouse for them. L . maculatum, 

late form and variety flavum, have settled in to flower once every second year. 

L . rosthornii the year it was planted had not senesced by autumn, so it froze still 

green and in growth mode and then was buried by snow. To my surprise, the 

next spring it simply thawed out and kept right on growing as if it had never been 

frozen. L . rosthornii flowered in the third year and has settled into a routine of 

flowering every third year. The experience with these lilies indicates that some 

Lilium can adjust their flowering habits to accommodate a short growing season, 

while others cannot. 

Soil pH 

It is broadly reported that some lilies are indifferent to the soil’s pH. This may be 

the case, but not with reference to my experience of L . bulbiferum and L . duchartrei 

and others. In a Zone 1 environment, in acidic soil, L . bulbiferum struggles to 

survive and L . duchartrei doesn’t survive. However, in an alkaline based soil both 

of these Lilium species perform well. From my observations it is obvious that the

orderline seasonal growing conditions 

dictate the need for the soil to be totally 

suited to the lilies needs, whereas in 

a more southerly growing area lilies, 

like the aforementioned species, may 

indeed tolerate an acidic or alkaline 

based soil. Lilium martagon and its 

varieties will survive and do reasonably 

well in an acidic soil, but never be at 

their best, whereas in an alkaline based 

soil it is simply amazing how much 

better they will do. 

Soil too rich 

Some lilies especially most west coast 

North American (WNA) Lilium cannot Lilium michiganense 

successfully grow in a high humus 

soil. But yet they still need a well drained soil. The WNA species’ requirements were 

the hardest ones to figure out. On the fourth attempt it appears what is being tried 

is working. Acidic soil, high humus four parts amended with two parts silt made up 

of a light clay and sand mix. Currently this is working with L . kelloggii, L . wigginsii, 

L . vollmeri and some west coast hybrids. I hope this formula will work with more 

lilies, as an attempt to grow other North American west coast species is tried. 

L . pardalinum, L . columbianum and L . parvum do well in straight acid-based 

high humus soil. L . philadelphicum variety andinum is an anomaly all to itself. In 

nature when compared to other Lilium species it grows over one of the largest 

geographic areas, second perhaps only to L . martagon and its varieties, yet in a 

garden setting it is a difficult lily to grow. It will survive for a while in acidic soil, it 

will survive for a while when grown like other west coast North American Lilium 

species and it will grow in high humus alkaline soil, but it will never do well. In 

some cases, even in a natural setting, this lily will be stunted, have weak stems 

and only flower every other year with one maybe two buds at most, but where the 

soil is to its liking it will flower every year with strong stems and an inflorescence 

with a high bud count. In cultivation it grows and does very well in beds that have 

an amended soil as follows: pH7.5, high humus well-drained soil and beach sand 

mixed fifty/fifty; this mix is by volume not by weight and in raised beds 26cm (10 

inches) deep. In these beds some stems, or maybe in some cases it is the original 

stems clones, have grown for at least twenty years and still produce an inflorescence 

of 3 to 5 buds each summer. In an attempt to improve the vigour of this lily crosses 

between stems of L . philadelphicum, grown from seed collected in various wild 

41

colonies, are being made on a yearly bases. At this time there are mature stems 

from crosses among nine different geographically dispersed colonies being used 

in this breeding effort. I believe improvement in vigour is being seen, instead of 

6 or 7 years from seed to first flower it is happening in 4 to 5 years. 

Late spring frosts 

Many Lilium hybrids as well as species can withstand severe late spring frost 

although cellular damage does occur which makes them very susceptible to 

botrytis later in the year. There have been years where the lilies are growing and 

get hit with -8°C, but have gone on to flower nicely and settle in for their next 

winter under a warm snow bank. Two Lilium species grown here do not suffer late 

spring frost well at all they are L . hansonii and L . michiganense. Having suffered 

a late frost they take a couple years to recuperate. If they are hit with such frosts 

two years in a row they are lost. The solution was to find a spot where they could 

grow by sprouting a couple weeks later then they did where they were growing 

originally. That spot is in an area of my garden that still has some snow cover 

for one and a half weeks after all other areas have melted. It is an area shaded 

from the afternoon spring sun, but which gets good summer sun once the sun has 

reached it peak. L . leichtlinii followed closely by the martagons and L . dauricum 

is the most durable late spring frost Lilium grown here. 

Fertilizing 

The only fertilizing the lilies growing here get is a generous serving of bone meal 

at the time of planting. It is mixed into the soil about 2cm (1 inch) below where 

the bulb will be set. 

If they are seedlings being set out, the bone meal will be placed about 15cm 

(6 inches) down. The only other time fertilizing occurs is when a lily says it’s 

hungry. By knowing your lilies you can tell if a lily needs to be fed, because it’s 

foliage will simply not have a good healthy look. To over fertilize means soft 

bloated bulbs that produce Lilium stems that are susceptible to disease and the 

bulbs have trouble wintering. A lean bulb is firm for the winter and produces a 

healthy disease resistant stem during the growing season. 

42 

★ ★ ★

My experience with Lilium fargesii 

Lilium fargesii was given a bad press by E . H . Wilson, but Rimmer de 

Vries begs to differ in his article about this not unlovely little lily . 

Lilium fargesii is a woodland-edge lily from central China that was first mentioned 

by Franchet in the French language Journal of Botany in 1892 and named for 

Guillaume Farges (1844 - 1912) a 19th century French plant explorer in China. 

Farges’ Lily is perhaps the smallest Lilium of the genus, growing for me to about 

35cm (14") in a pot with the bloom opening to the size of a US Quarter, then, as it 

aged shrinking to about the size of a US Nickel. 

I obtained three bulbs of L . fargesii in the fall of 2008 from Chen Yi as L-10 offered 

as L . pumilum (Chen Yi lists L . fargesii as L-09, so they must have been mixed 

up). Because the bulbs arrived so late in the year (late November/early December) 

and I live in Michigan, I potted them up in a typical mix suitable for rock garden 

plants, then put the pot in a pit house, or cold frame, and forgot about it. 

Last summer in mid July when several of us lily nuts returned from a trip to 

Robert Griesbach’s wonder garden in Wisconsin, we noticed a tiny green lily, in 

flower, growing in the corner of my cold frame and speculated on what it was. I 

posted a photo on the email Lilium group: Lilium@yahoogroups.com and both 

Calvin Helsley and Joe Nemmer responded that I had bloomed L . fargesii, a not so 

easy lily to flower, Wow! 

The first year two stems came up each with a tiny bloom, and this second year each 

of the two stems had two blooms; however the two plants flowered in succession, 

43

the first plant having bloomed out before the second plant’s buds opened. 

I do not recall what the bulb looks like, but a review of the literature says the bulb 

is white and ovoid, 2cm high 1.5cm diameter, scales lanceolate, stem 20 - 70cm tall 

and leaves scattered on the middle and upper parts of the stem. See Haw (1986) or 

Woodcock & Stearn (1950) for more description or just look at my photos. 

This is how I grow L . fargesii: My cold frame is located on the south corner 

of my house between a concrete driveway and the concrete foundation and is 

adjacent to a crevice garden made of upturned sandstone slabs that I previously 

used for stepping stones in the garden. This is a hot and bright area in the 

summer. The pot is somewhat plunged in fine sand and the top sits at about the 

level of the surrounding soil grade, so the soil is relatively cool and the pot is 

somewhat sheltered by the walls of the frame (made of 2"×12" lumber) that are 

submerged partially below grade. This part of the frame is open to most weather 

except in March when we get too much rain and no evaporation. In the deep 

winter I fill it up with snow and put on a top light cover made of 2"×4" lumber 

wrapped with clear plastic painter’s drop cloth (4 mil?) with a sheet of the large size 

1" bubble wrap between the plastic layers to maintain the interior air space. The 

frame freezes in winter but warms quickly in sun. Crocuses were blooming in the 

north side of the frame in February when we had 2 feet of snow outside. 

I think the most important cultural aspect is well drained soil made from similar 

sized components for maximum air space or porosity and quick drainage. My 

soilless mix is approximately 2 parts Sunshine LFT (or dry sieved peat moss can 

be used): 1 part perlite: 1 part coarse vermiculite: 1 part Turface (a fired clay 

product used to top off the baselines and pitcher’s mound in baseball fields – also 

44

Above left, A Lilium fargesii flower prior to opening. 

Centre, Lilium fargesii pods approximately three weeks after peak bloom. 

Right, Seed capsules of Lilium fargesii. 

Opposite far left, L. fargesii plant in cold frame. 

Opposite left, L. fargesii in bud. 

used in bonsai soil mixes). The components of the growing media all have about 

the same sized particles except for the peat moss which will break down. These 

are essentially sterile so some feeding is required, but I rarely fertilize. If I do think 

of fertilizing I use rain water with dilute 20-20-20. After reading about this lily I 

wonder if decayed leaf mold mixed with an aggregate would be better. 

Hybridizing? In 2009 I crossed my L . fargesii with pollen from L . henryi and 

pods formed. Seeds were collected from the green pods in late August and put 

into test tube culture. The test tubes were left outside on my porch during the 

fall of 2009 to experience the typical daily temperature fluctuation and cooling 

temperatures and sometimes even direct sun, and the seeds germinated outside 

in the cool. In late autumn the tubes were brought inside and kept under 

lights during the winter. The seedlings seems to respond to being left outside 

on my open porch in the spring and summer heat and are still growing well but 

slowly. Who knows if the cross was successful or if the seeds are just L . fargesii? 

But I think anything from these pods should be interesting. 

In 2010, a pair of seed pods formed on the earlier blooming plant, only not from 

any effort on my part or possibly from the other L . fargesii plant. The photo (above, 

centre) taken July 27, 2010, shows the pods about 20 days after peak bloom. 

In October 2010 I put about a dozen candled brown dry open-pollinated seeds 

from these L . fargesii pods in a small pot under a mulch of vermiculite, watered 

well, let drain, placed in a plastic baggie and set out on the porch for the fall 

temperature fluctuations to do its thing. The pot was in occasional morning sun 

and experienced slightly freezing temperatures. Before the real cold prolonged 

sub-freezing days, I brought the pot inside and placed it in a cool basement (55- 

60F) under lights for about two months. Frustrated with no visible results by midlate 

December, I put the pot on top of a fluorescent light and forgot about it. In 

early January 2011, I occasioned a peek while on a phone call to Charlie Kroell and 

45

there was a tiny seed on top of a cotyledon! It had to be L . fargesii and not a weed! 

I put the pot under the lights and within one week two cotyledons had germinated. 

Farges’ lily seems to like cooling temperature fluctuations to germinate; however, 

the seed in the potting soil decided to germinate after experiencing a slightly 

warming condition. 

E. H. Wilson didn’t think much of L . fargesii, considering it a lily that would only 

interest collectors. But I, and others, disagree, as the delicacy of this lily combined 

with the unusual green flowers, with their cristate projections like frosted papillae, 

suggest that a reappraisal of this lily is long overdue. 

References 

Haws, Stephen G. (1986). The Lilies of China. Timber Press. 

Woodcock, H. Drysdale & Stearn, William T. (1950). Lilies of the World. Country Life. 

Wood, Mark, (2009). Lily Species Notes and Images CD. 

46 

★ ★ ★ 

Edward Forbes’ Fritillary and others 

Brian Mathew uses an informative and interesting historical 

perspective, in his article, to describe the circumstances surrounding 

the discovery and naming of Fritillaria forbesii . 

The story of Fritillaria forbesii begins with the arrival 

of a small ship in south-western Turkey, HM Surveying 

Ship Beacon, which ‘visited the coast of Lycia in the 

beginning of January 1842, for the purpose of conveying 

away the remarkable remains of antiquity discovered 

at Xanthus [Xanthos] by Sir Charles Fellows’. Captain 

Graves, and his crew were charged with the task of 

excavating and removing the marbles, now in the British 

Museum. In addition to the crew the ship carried The 

Rev. Mr E. T. Daniell, who had a keen interest in the Lycian countryside and its 

antiquities, Lieutenant T. A. B. Spratt the ‘assistant surveyor’ and a naturalist, Prof. 

Edward Forbes, then of King’s College, London. 

In the two-volume work by Spratt and Forbes, Travels in Lycia (1847) it is noted 

that ‘Although the journey was commenced with sanguine expectations of success, 

the results exceeded the hopes entertained by the travellers; for no fewer than 

eighteen ancient cities, the sites of which had been unknown to geographers, were 

explored and determined, besides many minor sites’. Sadly Daniell ‘fell a victim

Type specimen of Fritillaria forbesii. 

Fritillaria forbesii. 

to the malignant malaria fever of the country...by lingering too long among the 

unhealthy marshes of the Pamphylian coast’ but not before the trio had undertaken 

some remarkable exploration. 

The nearest suitable port selected as the base for this expedition was Makri – now 

Fethiye. In March 1842 the Beacon left Lycia to collect supplies from Malta, leaving 

behind Forbes, Daniell and Spratt, Forbes to survey the whole region: Forbes to 

record the natural history, Daniell the antiquities and Spratt in charge of geography 

and mapping. This they did with enthusiasm and in the two-volume book the two 

survivors of the trio give an extraordinarily thorough account of the richness of the 

region: plants, animals, insects, fishes, seaweeds, Lycian language and inscriptions 

and of course the ancient sites themselves. From the book it is difficult to pin down 

exactly where Forbes collected the fritillary that was to become F . forbesii. The field 

notes on the type specimen in the Kew herbarium state: ‘in dumetis rupestribus 

ad Macri’, Forbes 626. It was this collection that was studied by the Kew botanist 

John Gilbert Baker and named the species in honour of Forbes in 1874 (Botanical 

Journal of the Linnean Society 14: 264). 

For several months Forbes and his companions travelled in Lycia, including on May 

27 th an ascent of the mountain block near Fethiye known as Cragus and Anticragus, 

now Mendos Dag and Baba Dag. On this mountain range Forbes collected a small 

47

squill (which he noted as S. bifolia): ‘whose exquisitely blue flowers contrasted with the 

snow masses in the clefts’. This must be the plant that was later named and described 

by Baker as Chionodoxa forbesii, for S. bifolia could never be described as ‘exquisitely 

blue’ and C. forbesii is common on this mountain. A ‘beautiful Fritillary of small size, but 

bearing a large tessellated flower’ has been identified as F. crassifolia subsp. crassifolia 

(Forbes 672). Near the site of Cybira on the mountain now known as Rahat Dag another 

‘beautiful little fritillary, with rich orange and brown flowers’ can probably be referred to 

F. pinardii. Forbes also saw the species later described (in 1846) as F. acmopetala, 

although this was based on a specimen collected by Aucher-Eloy; he possibly also 

F. elwesii, described by Boissier in 1884 after its collector Henry Elwes. Another was noted 

by Forbes as having flowers ‘striped in broad flames, with purple, yellow, and green, but 

never tessellated’. The expedition recorded a large number of species, quite a number 

of which were the first collections of the species, for example plants we now know as 

Cyclamen alpinum [trochopteranthum] and Forbes’s ‘beautiful yellow Trichonema’ 

which is Romulea crocea. It must have been a naturalist’s paradise for he notes ‘not 

infrequent in the Lycia mountains is the leopard’ and ‘bears and wolves are frequent... 

Jackalls are abundant and make known their presence by their detestable yelling as soon 

as the night sets in’. 

The holotype specimen of F. forbesii is well preserved in the Kew herbarium for 

posterity. In my early days in the ‘monocot section’, c.1969, one of the tasks was to clear 

the bundles of old unmounted specimens from the basement, identify the contents and 

get them mounted and incorporated into the herbarium. 

Imagine my surprise when a bundle of surplus Forbes specimens emerged, particularly 

when F. forbesii proved to be among them, in embarrassingly large quantities – a 

conservative estimate would be 50-100 individuals. These isotypes (duplicates of the type) 

were duly despatched to various other herbaria as gifts or exchanges. Fortunately many 

did not have bulbs attached and it seems that the species suffered no ill effects and can still 

be found in the Marmaris and Fethive area! 

As a postscript to the story, it was found that the Beacon was not large enough to 

transport the Xanthos marbles and two other ships, the Monarch and the Medea, were 

called in to complete the removal. 

Footnote 

This article was first published in Journal 28 of The Fritillaria Group of the Alpine Garden Society 

(2011) and is reprinted here by kind permission of the Society. 

48 

★ ★ ★

Nothing succeeds like 

Lily Group seeds 

In this article three Lily Group members, Carolyn Richards, Andree 

Connell and Nuala Sterling reflect on their success in growing lilies 

from seed obtained from the Lily Group Seed List – perhaps the most 

appreciated and admired aspect of the Lily Group’s activities . 

I have long held an interest in species 

lilies and I am always on the lookout for 

anything different or rare for sale. Joining 

the Lily Group really opened my eyes 

to the amazing diversification these 

beautiful plants produce. 

When I first received a seed list I 

ordered randomly, not appreciating 

the necessary conditions for growth 

lilies demand. In my innocence, I just 

sowed all the seed in small pots of 

multi-compost, grit and vermiculite 

with a good covering of sharp grit to 

finish. I labelled and placed them all 

outside in mostly shade and stood back 

awaiting germination. 

The results were varied: I soon 

learned the difference between hypogeal 

and epigeal, though fortunately I A lovely hybrid, L. canadense × L. grayi. 

kept all the non-sprouting pots for two 

years or more. The excitement when a little seedling appears never goes away. A 

sense of achievement is a wonderful feeling. Knowing you are actually growing a 

lily that is hard to find, especially when it has been maybe a year or two since the 

seed was sown is very rewarding. 

Martagon types seem, at first, to grow on quite well for me. I do have to grow 

all my lilies in pots at the moment, so this is more of a challenge. The importance 

of keeping the pots cool whilst the heads of the lilies are in sun is something I have 

gradually realised to be very important, so now they are all grown together with a 

couple of rows of box plants (in pots as well), shading the lilies. Growing the bulbs 

this way gives me more freedom with regard to positioning the lilies to achieve 

optimum growth. I can, for instance, control how much sun my lilies get, in line 

49

Lilium canadense hybrid. L. martagon flowers of various colours. 

with the requirements of different species. I can also ensure that soil mixtures are 

designed to reflect specific lily habitats. The cruelties of two harsh winters have 

taken their toll on several species. One pot of martagons had a nasty surprise for 

me when I repotted the bulbs this spring. The larger bulbs had perished leaving 

only small offsets huddled under a mushy bulb. Perhaps this is nature’s way of 

protecting its young? I have also found that lilies do not reach flowering maturity 

at the same time, as some pots of lilies, dating from 2005/06, contain bulbs that 

are still a long way from flowering, whereas others, planted at the same time, have 

been producing flowers for three years or more. 

There is always an element of surprise when growing lilies from seed and 

martagon lilies are no exception. The colour is so unpredictable, one batch labelled 

Lilium martagon pink/white stripes sown in march 2006 has this year produced 

flowers for the first time, ranging through pink, white and an interesting yellow/ 

pink confection! No stripes yet though. Also this week a pot of bulbs marked as 

L . canadense × grayi has produced three single flowering stems of a yellow/ 

orange colour; a very elegant flower and everything I had hoped for. 

The very process of producing something from seed to flowering size is very 

50

ewarding, as it is this process that teaches and guides you (with lots of accidents 

along the way). I would recommend anyone with little or no experience of sowing 

seed to just do it to see what happens. 

Carolyn Richards 

★ ★ ★ 

I can indeed provide a few comments about the Lily Group seeds I have grown. 

I’m not quite sure why I haven’t written about this subject previously, but the 

request, in a recent newsletter, has encouraged me to reflect on my experience 

and, hopefully, other Lily Group members will follow my example. 

May I begin by expressing my utmost appreciation for the exemplary Lily Group 

Seed Exchange. It is so useful to have a seed exchange deadline in December 

which enables latecomers to donate seed. Also, as one with eclectic taste, I have 

found some precious items on offer that are not available elsewhere. Cornus 

‘Norman Haddon’, Mutisia ‘Glendoick’ and the dark spotted Arum italicum come 

to mind, along with assorted eucomis, agapanthus and nerines, which so far seem 

undesirable to the rabbits. 

To grow Lilium cernuum has been a lengthy endeavour. The flowers from 

the first bulbs, acquired from a run of the mill mailorder catalogue, turned out 

to be what looked like wishy-washy hybrids and certainly not the vibrant graceful 

blooms I was expecting. True bulbs were then acquired from a lily specialist, 

but at that point I was only just learning the geology of my new acreage, so the 

choice of location and soil preparation were ill-advised and the bulbs just did 

not thrive. However, with bulbs produced from Lily Group seed I achieved the 

luxury of growing and flowering three to five Lilium cernuum bulbs, in different 

locations, and look forward to a better show from these bulbs each year. I haven’t 

yet noted any discernible differences between Lilium cernuum seeds from LS ’06 

or Arakawa 7070605, but I’m working on it. 

Seeds #166 from the 2004 distribution, ex L. Blackcurrant Mousse grew well but 

were aesthetically a disappointment, as they turned out more like ‘Ginger Mousse’ 

so I passed them on to my niece who likes orange shades. 

The plants from seed of the Smithers’ lily ‘Vico Queen’ seem to be finding 

conditions difficult, so they are a mere shadow of the 8’ to 10’ descriptions I have 

read about, but charming nonetheless and may yet make progress before a move 

to better conditions becomes a priority. 

Lilium lankongense has been a superb plant in varied conditions. Some I have 

identified as ‘CLD 425’ from LS # 81 2004, some just as ‘LS ‘04’. One thing my 

attempts at identification have taught me is to be more particular and accurate with 

regard to my notes and labels. 

Lilium washingtonianum I stupidly left behind when I moved house and seem 

51

Above, Lilium cernuum, same species, but different shades of pink. 

to be having problems re-establishing. I obtain good germination, but have either 

mis-managed the seedlings or if planted out they seem not to re-appear. A new 

crop awaits for me to try again. 

In order to put the information, above, into perspective perhaps I should 

mention that on my property the major enemy is tree roots, mostly from huge 

Douglas Firs, Garry Oaks, Arbutus & Acer macrophyllum. Beyond that comes 

the general old age, ill health, ineptness and scattered interests of the gardener, 

who moved far too many plants from the previous property, and still struggles 

to tear out 40 year old junipers, hypericum, ivy etc. in order to plant them here. 

The expectation is that it will all come together in the end, but in the meantime 

elements of ‘tough love’ seem inevitable, and bulbs are great survivors, especially 

those grown from Lily Group seeds! 

Andree Connell 

★ ★ ★ 

I have always enjoyed lilies in the garden, so when I was given seed of Lilium regale 

by a botanist friend and encouraged to try my luck I was quite keen. Initially, I 

sowed the seeds in 5cm square pots (in a cool greenhouse) and then transplanted 

the seedlings into one litre pots. I realised after two years in pots that those lilies 

by now in flower were trying to send me a message, which was it was time to plant 

them out into the garden. Survival ensued for a few years, much to my enjoyment, 

and then my lilies gradually waned on my heavy clay soil and with a water table 3" 

below the surface. 

An article in The Garden about the RHS Lily Group stimulated my interest, so 

I joined just before the 2004 Conference. I was impressed by one of the most 

stimulating conferences I had ever attended. Hooked and encouraged, my 

horizons were widened, but my learning was just beginning. The next phase – the 

52

Above, Two photographs of J. L. rosa trumpet × Holubice 

receipt of the Seed List – was an added stimulus to learn more about the cultivation 

of lily species and hybrids. 

In preparation for recording the fruits of my enthusiasm, I bought a 15 column 

Guildhall accounts book, which enabled me to note the names, dates, survival 

and progress of my lilies. However, you do not always record what later seems 

useful. Enchanted by the variety of shapes and colours of the tiny bulbs, I have now 

added those details to my records. I also learned from one of my local nurseries 

how important labelling is, the simplest method being to use a 2B pencil on white 

labels, named and dated with two submerged at the edge of each pot, because 

there they are less easily disturbed and always readable. 

Losses are a familiar trial to amateur enthusiasts, but losses caused through 

adverse weather, delayed transplanting, lily beetles, slugs etc can provide a useful 

learning curve. An added personal dilemma of spending three months away from 

my garden in three of the last five years is a neglectful approach my plants could 

have done without. The hard winters of 2008/9 and 2010/11 took their toll, so most 

of my two year old seedlings perished. But a few survived despite it all, although 

the others ended in a sorry mess. Why that should have been the case I’m not 

sure? This experience has, however, prompted me to provide better winter cover 

for my growing pots. Lilies in the older pots survived better and this summer there 

were a few surprises. To my delight the two seedlings of Lilium J. L. rosa trumpet 

× Holubice from John Lykkegaard (Denmark), flowered for the first time. The 

repotting stage was even more rewarding, as it presented me with a fine 5cm deep 

red concentric bulb and two small bulbs. 

In conclusion, if my experience is anything to go by, and you want to maintain 

your collection of lilies, then you should keep growing a succession of younger 

plants from seed – hopefully obtained from the Lily Group Seed List. 

Nuala Sterling 

53

Nomocharis gongshanensis 

Y. D. Gao et X. J. He sp. nov. 

– a new species from western China 

54 

Markus Hohenegger et al present the essential information about 

a new species of Nomocharis in the following article . 

Original article 

Plant Systematics and Evolution, DOI: 10.1007/s00606-011-0524-1 

A new species in the genus Nomocharis Franchet (Liliaceae): evidence that brings 

the genus Nomocharis into Lilium. Yun-Dong Gao, Markus Hohenegger, A. J. 

Harris, Song-Dong Zhou, Xing-Jin He and Juan Wan. 

http://www.springerlink.com/content/m3191640n1582v16 

Figure 1. 

Nomocharis gongshanensis sp. nov. 

(Gao G09003) 

Habit: (a) upper part of plant, (b) bulb, 

(c) gynoecium and one stamen, 

(d) inner tepal, (e) outer tepal. 

Nomocharis is a genus of Liliaceae with 

some of the most beautiful plants in the 

whole lily family. The genus comprises 

only a few species, which are distributed 

in the mountainous forest areas and 

slopes of west China, Tibet, and north 

Myanmar. The flowers, which in general 

have pink and white basic colours, are 

mostly held horizontally – resembling 

a flat open lily. Several lily species 

have been initially classified as 

Nomocharis. However, Nomocharis 

can be distinguished from lilies by the 

small swellings at the base of the inner 

petals, a feature totally absent in Lilium. 

During an expedition, to the west 

Chinese Gaoligongshan Mountains, 

a Nomocharis-like new lily with 

very pretty yellow flowers was 

discovered. Liang (1984: Studies on 

the genus Nomocharis (Liliaceae). Bull 

Bot Res 4: 163-178) had mentioned a 

yellowish form of N . aperta without 

fleshy swellings on the tepals’ bases,

Above, Habit during flowering and 

inset, showing front view of flower. 

but it was not further identified then. In this publication, the authors were able 

to clarify the systematic position of this yellow Nomocharis and described it as 

N . gongshanensis Y. D. Gao et X. J. He sp. nov. In addition, the evolutionary 

relationships within the Lilium-Nomocharis complex was evaluated at DNA-level 

with a much larger sample number than in earlier studies. 

Short description of N. gongshanensis Y. D. Gao et X. J. He sp. nov. 

On first sight, the plant resembles a smaller yellowish form of N . aperta. The bulbs 

are about 3 × 1.5cm, with yellowish-white scales and produce a stem about 50cm 

tall. The leaves are lanceolate, ca. 40 × 6mm, alternate. The flowers appear mostly 

solitary, but also specimens with up to 6 flowers have been found. They are cupshaped 

with a diameter of ca. 6cm, pale-yellow with purple-red spots at the bases 

of the tepals. Besides the colour, the flowers differ from N . aperta in having no 

swellings at the base of the nectaries, which normally distinguishes Nomocharis 

from true lilies. 

Although the flowers resemble a plant intermediate between Lilium and 

Nomocharis, the phylogenetic analyses showed clearly that the species belongs to 

55 

photographs © Yun-Dong Gao

photograph © Yun-Dong Gao 

Nomocharis, even though distinct from N . aperta. However, the data indicated a 

possible hybrid origin of N . gongshanensis, whereby the maternal ancestor might 

have been an extinct or undiscovered Nomocharis-like, and the paternal ancestor a 

Lilium-like plant. 

Phylogenetic relationships within the Nomocharis-Lilium complex 

The main findings from the molecular phylogenetic analyses were: 

• Nomocharis is nested within the genus Lilium. 

• The Nomocharis clade includes all Nomocharis species and Lilium nepalense. 

• Sections Sinomartagon and Leucolirion are paraphyletic. 

• There are two independent clades of mixed Daurolirion and Sinomartagon 

species. 

• L . bulbiferum appears to be a part of Sinomartagon, not of Liriotypus, which 

is monophyletic. 

Currently, no plant material, i.e. seeds or bulbs, are available of this new species. 

56 

★ ★ ★ 

Nomocharis gongshanensis habit 

during flowering.

Eight wild lily species 

native to Japan 

In this summary of his book Kimito Uchikawa provides 

information and expresses his views about some of the native 

species lilies that grow in Japan . 

I began the ecological study of the 15 species lilies, which are native to Japan, in the 

year 2000. At that time I lacked any knowledge of lilies. 

To begin with I decided to raise all 15 species from seed, so I started to collect 

seed from wild lilies. Where lily species were not available in the wild, near where 

I lived or in areas I could reach easily, I bought lily bulbs to obtain fertile seed in 

successive years. I was also given seed of some lily species. Within five years I had 

raised almost all of the 15 native species in flowerpots or in the garden. Seedlings 

were planted in a nursery garden to establish experimental populations. 

I learned the ecology of wild lilies from natural populations by locating their 

preferred habitats. It is a fact, unfortunately, that many of Japan’s 15 species lilies 

are suffering because of rapid and destructive environmental changes. This has 

resulted in them being included in the Red Data Book, together with so many 

other species of different families. The decline of agricultural societies has led to 

depopulation in wild lilies, as well as all other endangered species. To deal with 

the decline in wild lily populations details of the life history of these lilies should 

be studied, through the observation and conservation of natural populations in 

their respective habitats. Regrettably, most Japanese people show limited interest 

in wild lilies, so I propose what might be called “respective liliology” to be taken 

into consideration, as “respective liliology” would include personal responses 

according to individual sensitivity and discernment. Perhaps Japanese people 

would become more interested in the fate of their native lilies if the results of 

their respective observations and comparisons of natural lily populations were 

made public. According to the above thinking, I compiled the knowledge 

accumulated over 10 years in my book Eight Wild Lilies Indigenous to Japan Today 

(Liliaceae; Lilium). 

In the first, introductory chapter of my book, I consider the species lilies of the 

world relying on the intrageneric classification of the genus Lilium by Comber 

(1949). It is well known that plants of the genus Lilium come from the northern 

hemisphere. The southernmost lilies are represented in Section 6 Leucolirion, 

Subsection 6a longiflorum-philippinense, which are distributed north of the 

Tropic of Cancer (N23°27 '). Two species, Lilium philippinense Baker and 

L . neilgherrense Wight are known from much more southern locations than the 

57

above southernmost distributional limit of 

the genus Lilium. In these cases, the two 

lilies grow at a comparatively high altitude to 

compensate for the southerly latitude. 

The main species lilies of Japan belong 

to Section 4 Archelirion that includes, 

exceptionally, a lily of Chinese origin, Lilium 

brownii (Brown) Miellez. I consider it 

better to split section 4 into Subsection 4a 

for Lilium brownii and Lilium speciosum 

Thunberg and Subsection 4b for the 

remaining 6 species of Japanese origin. 

Section 7 Daurolirion comprises at least two species, L . dauricum Ker-Gawler 

and L . maculatum Thunberg. These two species very easily hybridize with those 

of Section 5 Sinomartagon, but, even so, Section 7 should be valid because of the 

unique form of their flowers. 

The scientific names of the 15 Japanese species lilies were given by western 

botanists by 1897, before the publication of the International Rules of Botanical 

Nomenclature of Vienna 1902. Furthermore, western botanists had no knowledge 

of the fact that natural populations of Japanese species lilies, in their native sites, 

had been accurately described and drawn or painted under the influence of Chinese 

culture. Several Japanese botanists tried to determine more valid names for some 

species by consulting the current International Code of Botanical Nomenclature 

(Vienna Code). However, the names proposed by such the Japanese botanists did 

not always prevail over the names given by western botanists. With regard to these 

circumstances, I list the most valid names of the 15 species lilies native to Japan, 

together with some scientific names of varieties and/or forms. I continue to have 

some doubts about the validity of the name Lilium alexandrae (Wallace) Coutt 

(1934), so I intend reading all of the original descriptions of this species, with the 

aid of RHS Lindley Library, London, in the hope of being able to propose a more 

appropriate name. 

The second chapter of my book deals with the ecology of eight Japanese species 

lilies in four groups. The first group comprises Lilium longiflorum Thunberg 

(1794), Ukeyuri (Japanese name L . ukeyuri Veitch (1893) or L . alexandrae Wallace 

(1893), and L . nobilissimum (Makino) Makino (1914), all of which are found 

on some of the Nansei Islands within the southernmost distributional range of 

58 

Lilium japonicum on the cover of my book, 

Eight Wild Lilies Indigenious to Japan Today. 

B5, 217pp. ca. 60 refs., ca. 350 photos.

photograph © S. Hattori 

Lilium alexandrae. Ukesima, Amami, 05.06.15. 

the genus Lilium. Morphologically, it is interesting that all three species have 

fragrant, non-papillate trumpet flowers on the tips of stout and rather short stems, 

which are common among wild lilies indigenous to small islands. Of the three 

species, only L . nobilissimum is restricted to a limited rocky stretch of Sodegaura, 

Kakerojima – among the Tokara Islands. This lily is also interesting because it has 

heavy seeds. I have never been to the native sites of these three species and all 

the photographs of these wild lilies, in the first subheading of the second chapter 

of my book, were taken by Dr Seisaku Hattori of Amami Laboratory of Injurious 

Animals, The University of Tokyo. 

The second subheading includes Lilium auratum Lindley (1862), L . japonicum 

Houttuyn (1780), and L . rubellum Baker (1897), which are the main members 

of Section Archelirion. These wild lilies are mainly distributed on Honshu and 

are characterised by diversely coloured flowers. Wild populations of the three 

species are on the decline, owing to the reduction of the preferred habitats of 

these lilies, that is, “Head in the sun, feet in the shade (McRae, 1998)”. L . auratum 

(which has a life-span, in the wild, of approximately 10 years) grows on rocky 

mountains in areas like Nagano Prefecture, Central Honshu. Growth of this lily is 

rapid. The largest number of flowers per stem can be as much as 23, so this lily 

can produce significant quantities of seed. L . japonicum occurs in such grassy 

59

Lilium rubellum on Gorin-Daira, Shitada, Niigata Pref., 05.06.07. 

habitats as ski slopes, roadsides, gardens around houses, cottages in mountainous 

regions and the floors of open forests. The maximum number of flowers I have 

so far observed is 7. L . rubellum is distributed within restricted boundary areas 

in Niigata, Fukusima and Yamagata Prefectures. L . rubellum populations grow in 

large groups and as a species it is long lived. I have observed as many as 13 flowers 

on a single stem. Shape, perfume of the flowers and the leaves of L . japonicum and 

L . rubellum are much appreciated in Japan. Bulbs of L . auratum, L . japonicum 

and L . rubellum have long been used as food and for herbal medicine, so farmers, 

botanists and amateur and professional horticulturists have often been concerned 

with the cultivation of these three species lilies. A few experienced people have 

noticed the occurrence of dormancy or diapauses and/or resting in the life cycle 

of L . auratum and L . rubellum. The same characteristic is evident in the life cycle 

of L . japonicum. This botanical/ ecological characteristic, which occurs with all 

three species, is useful in locating native populations and, further, in designing a 

working hypothesis for the conservation of these lilies. 

Lilium japonicum, has a famous variety, L . japonicum var. abeanum 

Kitamura (1952), which is native to the serpentine zone of Tokushima Prefecture, 

Shikoku. There is a remarkable natural hybrid of L . japonicum Houttuyn × 

L . auratum Lindley, which ?(is) grows on the southernmost part of Izu peninsula, 

60

Above, Lilium japonicum var. abeanum Kitamura, Kisawa Vilage, 

Tokushima Pref., 05.05.31. 

Shizuoka Prefecture. Since Japanese people find it difficult to access these hybrids 

in the flowering season I have tried, in my book, to show as many unfamiliar 

flowers as possible. 

The third subheading is dedicated to a single species, Lilium platyphyllum 

(Baker) Makino (1914), thriving on the Izu Islands ranged from N32°28 ' to 

N34°45 '. The stout stems, like those of Lilium ukeyuri, L . nobilissimum and 

L . longiflorum, indicate L . platyphyllum is likely to have had its speciation on 

some small islands. This wild lily, that produces the largest flowers and biggest 

bulbs, has been used as a source of food and herbal medicine for a very long 

time. Although the range of L . platyphyllum is widespread, that is because such 

useful lilies as L . platyphyllum 

and Lilium auratum are likely to 

have been artificially introduced 

in many parts of Japan. However, 

so far no one has fully explored 

the native islands where 

L . platyphyllum grows. 

Lilium maculatum Thunberg 

(1794) is the eighth wild lily, 

indigenous to Japan, representing 

group four of chapter 

two in my book. This lily grows 

on Izu Islands, along the coast 

of eastern Honshu, on Sado, 

Awashima and Tobishima Islands 

in the Japan Sea. Upright 

flowers are characteristic of this 

Below, Lilium platyphyllum from Izu Islands 

(cultivated at Matsumoto), 04.07.26. 

61

Above , Example flowers of the natural hybrid Lilium japonicum x Lilium auratum 

(cultivated from seeds at Matsumoto), 09.07.11-16. 

species. Even when the stems hang down the flowers are erect because of their 

basal structure, which is unique to Section Daurolirion. Japanese botanists have 

considered that L . maculatum lilies on the Pacific shore and those on the Japan 

Sea shore are somewhat different from each other. Lilies on the Pacific shore 

generally flower a month later than those on the Japan Sea shore. Morphological 

differences of leaves are also prominent among local populations. The germination 

pattern is typically immediate epigeal for the seed from Izu Peninsula, but not yet 

determined for the seeds from Oyashirazu population that are the westernmost 

L . maculatum population of the Japan Sea shore. It is necessary to learn more 

about the variations among geographically different populations to be able to 

Below, Marvelous Lilium platyphyllum population on N. Haruki’s garden, Izu- 

Ohshima, 07.07.19. 

62

discuss the ranking of these variations. 

There is a misleading name, Lilium wilsonii Leichtlin (1868) that should be 

named L . xelegans (× elegans) or be dealt with as a synonym of L . maculatum 

Thunberg. L . maculatum var. bukosanense (Honda) Hara (1963) was found in 

a limestone area on Mt. Bukosan, Saitama Prefecture, but extensive excavation of 

limestone caused its extinction through habitat destruction. However, records 

of L . maculatum var. bukosanense growing in the basaltic zone should be reexamined. 

Lilium maculatum var. monticola Hara (1963), originally insufficiently 

described, has been accepted as an inland variety. Characteristic morphology 

appears on the stems, leaves and inflorescence of fully grown plants, as is shown in 

the photographs in the 3 rd chapter of my book and here, below. 

All of the comments, in this summary of my book and in my book itself, are 

based on my own observations and in relation to 350 photographs, which show 

the morphology and provide an insight into the ecology of the eight Japanese 

species lilies I have dealt with. People may have objections to or agree with the 

observations. My aim is to create in many Japanese people the desire to carry out 

their respective liliology on local wild species lilies. There are seven other wild 

species lilies, not dealt with in my book, and the population dynamics of each of 

them should be assessed as soon as possible. 

My respective liliology has made gradual progress for 10 years. It is proved 

that propagation of wild lilies by seeds is indispensable for the conservation of 

Above, Lilium maculatum var. monticola Hara. Characteristic feature of leaves 

(shown left) and inflorescence (right), 07.06.05(a)-21(c). 

63

Above, Stable Lilium japonicum population on H. Furihata’s Rock garden, 10.06.22. 

endangered species, because Japan is suffering from environmental disruptions, 

including ecocides, due to labour shortages in rural societies, by ageing and 

depopulation. It was a custom for rural people to naturalise wild lilies near 

them, in their gardens and/or farms. Such naturalised lilies last for several 

years, but then they deteriorate. However, I found an exceptionally long lasting 

population in my friend H. Furihata’s small Japanese rock garden, which has 

both grace and dignity. There Lilium japonicum lilies keep flowering after more 

than 50 years without his special care. With regard to small species lilies, such as 

L . concolor Salisbury (1806), L . callosum Siebold et Zuccarini 1839, L . maculatum, 

L . dauricum and L . longiflorum, which grow rapidly to flower within 2 to 3 years, 

stocks should be conserved through repeated reproduction of the species listed 

in this sentence. 

While collecting material for my book many people provided pertinent help and 

advice, as recognised in the acknowledgements section of my book. Additionally, I 

am indebted to Jeff Coe, Webmaster, RHS Lily Group, who provided me with useful 

advice and sent me valuable information about the botanical classifications of the 

genus Lilium, Alan Hooker, Seed Distribution Manager, RHS Lily Group, for kindly 

providing me with information about the nature of Japanese lily seeds and Alan 

Mitchell for his editorial help with this article. 

64

Spousal acceptance 

factor: living with a 

lily enthusiast 

Wry bemusement might describe the 

tone used by Susann de Vries in this 

transatlantic article about her 

spouse’s gardening obsessions . 

Our modest urban lot is literally chuck-full of 

plants. What little sod we have in the back yard is 

a result of pleas on behalf of our two canine family 

members. I enjoy all of the vegetation, but I am 

not willing to work for all of it – at least not to the 

extent my husband does. I do have an interest in 

gardening, but more along the undemanding lines of herbs, beans and a few pretty 

flowers. My interest and support is merely peripheral. Gardening is “his thing”. 

As the spouse of a gardening devotee, what surprises me the most is that when 

people walk by and comment on the plants in our yard, they often assume that as 

a woman, I am the caretaker. They think that the herbaceous and woody plants are 

beautiful and will mention how much they enjoy walking past our property. If I am 

feeling devilish, I will smile sweetly and say “thank you!” (and take all of the credit). On 

the days I judge myself as being more pious, I will mention in passing that my husband 

is the gardener and his fervent devotion provides the four-season interest they enjoy. 

Supporting your other half with his/her botanical ventures can be physically and 

mentally challenging. The physical challenges are obvious. Surprisingly, it is the 

mental encouragement that can be more demanding. Fortunately there are plant 

societies and list serves *. 

‘Eros’ 

List serves and Phases... 

A spouse is okay to talk with about plants and new varieties, but we only half-listen 

with an occasional “oh yeah?” From time-to-time we sporadically circle pictures in 

plant catalogs so our spouse feels like we have made some sort of contribution in 

planning the garden. List serves are a blessing to a spouse and take off some of the 

pressure for mental support. They connect aficionados and feed (not referring to 

NPK!) spouses through their various plant phases. 

* List serves: A set of email addresses for a group in which the sender can send one email and it will 

reach a variety of people. 

65

First there was the Rose Phase. I diligently helped water the roses (only at the 

bottom!), sprayed bug stuff, deadhead spent flowers and gathered leaves to prepare 

the tender shoots for the winter deepfreeze. After all, we were in a borderline area 

where our particular zone for the rose type was a little iffy. But who could resist 

trying? Dieback and the onslaught of Japanese beetles ushered in the… 

Prairie Phase. Native plants could survive the winters and were easy to 

separate and divide. Piet Oudolf influenced my spouse during this phase with the 

publication of his books and I think the cute, friendly nursery person who sold 

plants at the local farmers market had some persuasion as well. While we had 

good intentions of keeping plants from spreading (and thankfully a small yard), 

that led us to the… 

Bulb Phase. With the combination of historical interest in broken tulips and 

the burning hunger for spring color after a long winter, who could resist bulbs? Of 

course you have to keep color in the garden all summer long… 

Enter: Lilies 

I thought digging up tulip bulbs during the summer (to keep rot out) and replanting 

them in the fall was insane, but with lilies my spouse has taken plants to a whole 

new level. Now I have to contend with packages of plant “stuff ” in my refrigerator 

and the basement looks as if a mad scientist has taken residence. With grow lights, 

test tubes and plant trays all over, I seriously wonder if our neighbors think we are 

growing something illegal down there. Did I mention the groans you hear when a 

furry little creature has sampled the most rare and treasured cultivar in the garden? 

What is particularly significant of the bulb phase is that it has brought us into 

the world of plant societies. These groups are comprised of wonderful people 

with a passion and excitement for their particular plants of interest. They are an 

invaluable source for camaraderie and knowledge. WARNING: as a partner of a lily 

enthusiast, it is really difficult to retain a state of nonchalance in the plant world 

when you hit this level of involvement. Now there are meetings and conferences 

that help plan your calendar and summer vacations. That being said… 

The plant world has been a wonderful ride. My spouse’s interest has connected 

me with remarkable people from around the world. My life has been enhanced 

and I am always surprised to learn how much information I have picked up through 

osmosis. Of course he is always dabbling with different plants and is starting to 

introduce alpine plants into the garden. His vision is to hire Fred Flintstone as a 

consultant to create some sort of escarpment on our flat, city lot in order to grow 

daphnes and dwarf conifers. I truly wonder how we are going to get rid of all of 

those rocks if we ever move and have to sell the house. For now, I am going to 

stick to my favorite line when people walk past our house and inquire about the 

garden, “You are going to have to ask my spouse; I only bring out the lemonade.” 

66

Lilies of the Julian Alps 

In this article Alan Mitchell writes about the lilies he found and 

the one he missed when he revisited the Julian Alps in 2010 . 

The Julian Alps stretch from the north 

east of Italy to Slovenia and, as the 

name suggests, are named after Julius 

Caesar. A large part of the Julian Alps 

is included within the Triglav National 

Park, which contains Slovenia’s 

highest mountain, Mt Triglav (2,864 

metres). The best place from which 

to explore this area is Bohinj, or to be 

more precise one of the villages that lie 

beside Lake Bohinj, e.g. Ribčev Laz. 

Three species lilies are found in 

Lilium carniolicum 

the Triglav National Park: Lilium 

carniolicum, Lilium martagon and 

Lilium bulbiferum. However, when I first visited this area almost thirty years 

ago my objective was to climb the highest mountains not to search for lilies of 

which I knew nothing, although a brief encounter with what I now know was 

L . carniolicum did stick in my mind. Almost thirty years later, in July 2010, I 

decided to revisit the Triglav National Park to see if the added years would defeat 

an attempt to climb Mt Triglav again and whether I could find flowering plants of 

the species lilies that grow within the Park’s boundaries. 

On the first day my route, through the Triglav National Park, would lead north 

from the village of Ribčev Laz (the location of my hotel) up the Voje valley by way 

of Vodnikov Dom (1,817 metres) and Dom Planika (2,401 metres), where I would 

overnight. On the second day my route would take me to the top of Mt Triglav 

(2,864 metres), then south west to a stark plateau called Hribarice and then down 

into the valley of the Triglav lakes, then south east to the Komarca crag where 

a steep descent would lead to the western end of Lake Bohinj and from there 

I would travel east to Ribčev Laz (and my hotel). I should mention that a Dom 

is a mountain hut, but not in the Spartan style of a typical bone-chillingly damp, 

dank Scottish mountain bothy, but frequently in the style of an attractive hotel with 

similar facilities. 

On the first day of my foray into the Triglav National Park I set out from my 

hotel at 7am. Impatient to get on I strode down to the lakeside, but then 

my pace was slowed by the threads of early morning mist reflected in the still 

67

A group of Lilium carniolicum in their suntrap. 

Lilium carniolicum var. albanicum 

before it ceased being a relative of its 

former orange cousin to become 

L. albanicum. 

68 

surface of the lake and the shoals of 

languid trout swaying in the unhurried 

movement of water in the river that 

flowed out of Lake Bohinj. Snapping 

out of my reverie, I headed with more 

purpose towards the Voje valley and 

the entrance to the Park. Although 

early morning, it was already hot so I 

welcomed the shade provided by the 

Beech woods that clothed the lower 

reaches of the valley. As I walked 

through the woods, the crunch of my 

boots on desiccated leaves was the only 

sound that disturbed the silence. Quite 

soon my thoughts drifted back through 

the years to my encounter with 

L . carniolicum. It is no exaggeration 

to say that this lily literally stopped me 

dead in my tracks, as I had never seen anything so exotic looking and so vividly 

coloured. The shape and waxy texture of the flowers also intrigued me. However, 

impatient to get on, I neglected to take any photographs, but made a mental note

My insouciant friend the male Ibex. 

Left, Mt Triglav (2,864 metres), in the 

background, from the plateau that 

leads to the valley of the Triglav lakes. 

instead of where this lily was growing, should I ever pass that way again. Years later 

after I was bitten by the lily bug, not beetle (of which more later), I purchased two 

bulbs of L . carniolicum var. albanicum (now L . albanicum). I lost one, but the 

other bulb survives and produces clear lemon flowers in early June. In his book 

Growing Lilies, Derek Fox writes, “As a garden plant it overrides L . pyrenaicum, so 

in the early lily season there is no yellow turkscap available to trounce this one. It 

would benefit any plantsman’s garden.” I wouldn’t claim to be a plantsman, but 

I do agree with Derek’s assessment. Having tried and failed to source bulbs of 

the orange type, I have been reduced to brooding impatiently over some very 

tardy seedlings I have had growing in a pot for what seems like too long. Hence, 

as I scrunched my way up the path I felt keen to reacquaint myself with the 

L . carniolicum plants I hoped awaited me, but before that I had a mountain to 

climb and a long way to travel. 

Growing bored with the dark and airless wood, my attention was suddenly 

arrested by the appearance of a Chamois. As he wasn’t too far along the path I could 

appreciate his sturdiness and heraldic bearing. I wanted to capture his image, but 

I knew the second I reached for my camera he would disappear, which, inevitably, 

is what happened. I say “inevitably”, but an encounter with an Ibex – also in the 

Julian Alps – ended quite differently. Having stalked the Ibex across a rocky slope, 

and positioned myself close enough so that I could take photographs that would 

be recognisable as an Ibex rather than as a small fuzzy brown blob, I literally had to 

69

throw stones to attract my quarry’s attention. Whereupon this creature lifted his 

head, which was adorned with extremely impressive horns, and gave me a bored 

look while ruminating, I imagined, on how tiresome tourists were for insisting on 

taking his photograph. 

Eventually, I emerged from the claustrophobic woods into the light, a light of 

such unexpected intensity that I felt I was taking part in Aldous Huxley’s experiment 

with mescaline, which he wrote about in his book, The Doors of Perception. 

(Mescaline is a hallucinogenic drug derived from a cactus, Anhalonium Lewinii, 

which grows in south west America and Mexico and has been used for centuries by 

indigenous peoples to heighten awareness during religious ceremonies.) During 

Huxley’s experiment, in 1953, he recorded that, “Visual impressions are 

greatly intensified and the eye recovers some of the perceptual innocence of 

childhood.” I found myself walking through one of nature’s effortless gardens, 

where the colours of the Clematis, Aquilegia, Trollius and Cypripedium flowers 

seemed to pulsate in the super-bright sunshine. But, signs of LL . carniolicum, 

martagon or bulbiferum there were none. Too soon, however, I left the garden 

of sensory delights and climbed into a more austere terrain of low growing 

rhododendrons and limestone rock. It was now early afternoon so I was relieved 

to see – toy-like in the distance – Vodnikov Dom, where I could get something to 

eat and drink. Although, as mentioned earlier, many Doms are quite palatial, I was 

cheered to discover that Vodnikov Dom had changed little since I last visited. The 

fare was rustic, i.e. bread, soup and a large pivo (beer) and substantial, like the cost, 

which made me nostalgic for the presumably subsidised prices that existed when, 

on my first visit, Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia. 

By the time I could see Dom Planika – a speck high above me under the 

three tops of Mt Triglav – the pivo I had drunk at Vodnikov Dom had long since 

evaporated. The sun was unrelenting and my mouth was parched, so I had to 

drink from what was left in a bottle of mineral water I had hurriedly purchased 

before starting out. This was neither thirst quenching or pleasant, as the vile 

liquid tasted of sulphur. However, I had a stroke of luck. While stunned by the 

sun and resigned to enduring the steep climb to reach Dom Planika, my resolute 

trance was interrupted by the sound of running water, the source of which was 

soon found. It was with great pleasure, and relief, that I emptied the dregs of my 

mineral water and replaced it with the fresh snow-melt water that was trickling 

nearby. With my thirst quenched, I resumed my resolute trance until I reached 

Dom Planika, where I booked a night’s accommodation. Afterwards, I sat outside 

the Dom and watched some climbers pounding their way down a snow slope, while 

drinking a pivo I convinced myself was for medicinal purposes, i.e. to reverse my 

dehydration. Gradually, the heat of the sun abated and the surrounding mountains 

became bathed in a soft golden light. I could see the way that would take me into the 

70

valley where the L . carniolicum grew, 

but that was part of tomorrow. Before 

then I had to get a night’s sleep and 

then climb Mt Triglav. 

Sleep was fitful, so it wasn’t a 

hardship to rise at 5.30am. I ate some 

chocolate and drank some water 

and then set off. As I headed for the 

Lilium martagon 

snow slope, which I had watched the 

climbers descend yesterday, I was 

concerned that the freezing over-night temperatures might have turned the slope 

into a tricky obstacle. However, fortune smiled on me as yesterday’s footsteps 

had hardened into a staircase, which quickly took me onto the rocks above. It 

was cold in the shadow of the mountain, but this spurred me on, as I could see 

the warming sun wasn’t too far away. In exposed areas via ferrata (cables fixed 

to the rocks) also assisted progress. When I reached the main ridge I was met 

by the rising sun and immediately benefited from its restorative warmth. I felt 

elated by the superb clarity of the morning and that the summit of Mt Triglav was 

but an hour’s distance away. The view from the summit was spectacular. The 

Austrian Alps, more than forty miles to the northwest as the Chough flies, were 

clearer than crystal and the mountains that surrounded me, including Škrlatica 

(2,740 metres) where I encountered the insouciant Ibex, were a compelling study 

in dramatic rock formations softened here and there with delicate wreaths of 

vaporous clouds. Nothing is guaranteed in the mountains, so I felt very lucky to 

have witnessed the panorama that Mt Triglav had given me. The question was, 

would my luck hold as far as discovering any lilies was concerned? The answer 

would be found, hopefully, during the long walk that lay ahead. 

After walking south west for a number of hours I reached Hribarice, which is a 

high plateau of rock, snow and little vegetation. Before I lost sight of Mt Triglav, I 

took a photograph which, in retrospect, seems to capture its scale and grandeur 

quite well. Having crossed the plateau, I descended into the valley of the Triglav 

lakes. I was enjoying the morning and thinking about finding lilies when a very 

furry cat crossed my path. Fortunately, it reappeared briefly before disappearing 

among the rocks, so I was able to confirm it was a feline. A moment’s thought 

convinced me that it couldn’t be a local moggie, as there was no settled habitation 

for miles, so I concluded it must be a wild cat, a creature I have never encountered 

in almost forty years of hillwalking in Scotland. The next few hours were uneventful 

and pleasant as the sun was warm, but not as hot as the day before. Then, 

as the altitude dropped, the vegetation became more lush and varied and suddenly 

I was surrounded by dozens of plants of L . martagon, which, unfortunately, were 

71

a week or two away from flowering. My 

first encounter with L . martagon was 

in the Asturias Mountains in northwest 

Spain, then in Austria and then in 

Slovenia, but I would have to explore 

many areas and travel a long way east, 

literally to the pacific coast of Siberia, 

before I had covered the immense distribution of this lily. 

As the walking was easy, I was covering the miles fairly quickly while anticipating 

my encounter with L . carniolicum, which apart from growing in Slovenia is 

also found in north east Italy, western Romania, western Bulgaria and south to 

Montenegro. Having entered a fairly dense forest of conifers, broken by open 

spaces of grassy slopes under limestone outcrops, my memory told me I was near 

the location where I had encountered L . carniolicum many years ago. Then I 

found them, not the small group in my mind’s eye, but dozens and dozens of them, 

flowers glowing deep salmon-scarlet in the sun. The situation would have been 

ideal for just about any lily i.e. sloping ground, facing south west with a protective 

backdrop of rock, which created a veritable suntrap. At a distance the stems, leaves 

and flowers looked vibrantly healthy. Then as I made my way among the plants, 

to get the best photographs, I noticed that many of the leaves and flowers had 

suffered insect damage. I thought it must be caterpillars until I discovered the real 

culprit – the lily beetle – which is as resplendently coloured as L . carniolicum, but 

somehow out of place in this sanctuary of beauty. Then having spotted one beetle 

I spotted dozens. It depressed me to contemplate the damage these pests were 

inflicting on these beautiful plants. I hoped nature might soon provide a corrective, 

in the form of a beetle eating bird or mammal, to bring these little red monsters 

under control. As I walked away from my second encounter with L . carniolicum 

I felt elated about finding this lily again, but saddened by the depredations being 

perpetrated by a creature that everyone dreads finding in their garden. 

When I reached the top of the Komarca crag I considered taking a less 

direct route back to my starting point, Ribčev Laz, in the hope of finding more 

L . carniolicum, L. martagon (hopefully in flower) and the elusive L . bulbiferum. 

However, the day was wearing on and my feet were wearing out, so I promised 

myself I would explore the area I thought might contain more lilies after a 

day’s rest. 

Day’s rest over, I set off in pursuit of lilies. Heading northwest out of Stara 

Fužina a few hours easy walking brought me to an impressive Dom with a more 

impressive view of a bowl shaped lake with a backdrop of conifers, which in their 

72 

Left, Lilium carniolicum with unwelcome 

company, a.k.a. the Lily Beetle.

The one that got away, Lilium bulbiferum. 

perfect regularity of shape and distribution looked like the work of man but were 

assuredly the work of nature. Beyond the Dom I started to encounter grassy 

slopes and limestone outcrops, so I felt hopeful of finding lilies. Fixing on one 

likely location, I found two L . martagon plants in flower, which was untypical. The 

flowers were mauve with generous purple spotting. Further along the path I found 

a small number of L . carniolicum in flower mixed with some plants of L . martagon 

which were not yet in flower. From what I saw in the Triglav National Park, 

L . carniolicum appears to flower a week or two before L . martagon. Fortunately, 

the local lily beetles had not yet discovered the lilies beyond the Dom, although 

they were within flying distance from the site of destruction I had visited two 

days previously. 

As I returned to Ribčev Laz, and my hotel, I tried to convince myself that 

finding two out of the three lilies of the Julian Alps was better than finding one or 

none. However, not finding L . bulbiferum irked me, especially as its distribution 

ranges from the Pyrenees in the west to Poland in the east, so, looking at things 

literally, it shouldn’t be too hard to find. Then I chided myself for being churlish, 

as I had found, a few years ago, flowering plants of L . bulbiferum in an extensive 

alpine meadow beside the Passo Gardena in the Dolomites. However, as an 

obsessive – a common characteristic of lily growers – I promised myself I would 

return to the Julian Alps to find my missing lily, but without the lapse of so many 

years for obvious reasons! 

73

74 

Timothy Whiteley, OBE, DL, JP 

Caroline Boisset writes about the recipient of 

the Lyttel Cup for 2011 . 

On 29 March 2011 the President of the Royal Horticultural Society, Elizabeth Banks, 

presented the Lyttel Cup to Timothy Whiteley. Tim was for ten years chairman of 

the Lily Group during which time he oversaw the International Lily Conference 

held by the Group in London in 2004. He is also one of the few lily specialists in 

the country to grow (mostly) species on a large scale in a natural setting. With 

the event of the Lily Festival that is held annually at his garden, Evenley Wood 

in Northamptonshire, he is contributing significantly to the understanding and 

popularity of the genus. 

Tim’s garden is no ordinary garden in the conventional sense of the word but 

rather one that has been hewn out of woodland. Over the years the garden has 

spread over the 60 acres that Tim purchased in 1980. One of the aspects about 

the woodland that made it an attractive proposition to a gardener, was that the pH 

ranges from just below 5 to just above 8, the 10 acres of acid land being the only 

acid land for miles around. He knew that he would be able to grow just about 

any plant he wanted; it was several years before he was able to acquire it but his 

patience was rewarded. His main interests are trees and bulbous plants and his 

aim has always been to have plants of interest throughout the year, perhaps one of 

the reasons he came to growing lilies as he found that after spring there was little 

else that flowers in a woodland setting. 

Tim Whiteley has been interested in plants and gardening since he was a 

child. At both his prep school and at Eton he had his own garden and he told me 

when I visited him recently at his home, that the headmaster of his prep school 

(which had moved to Bideford, in Devon, during the war) turned a blind eye to his 

tree climbing because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop him! 

He grew up in the area he still lives in, the youngest of three boys. His maternal 

grandfather, H. G. Tetley, was the chairman of Courtauld and responsible for the 

growth of the company from a faltering manufacturer making black crêpe to the 

large international company it became with the advent of the manufacture of 

artificial silk. It was due to this link with the Courtauld family that Tim celebrated 

his 21 st birthday at 11 Downing Street, when R. A. (Rab) Butler was Chancellor of 

the Exchequer and had married Sydney Courtauld. 

His father came from Yorkshire but was elected MP for Buckingham in 1938. 

Tim remembers that he used to grow daffodils – Tim to this day can identify old 

daffodil cultivars better than the more modern ones – and had a rose garden in 

Bletchley. Although he had a head gardener, it was his father who pruned the

Jane and Tim Whiteley 

with lily ‘Conca d’Or’. 

roses indicating how important they were to him. At the outbreak of World 

War II he declined to go into government and was mobilised in the Territorial Army 

as Commanding Officer in the Royal Artillery before going to India to be Field 

Marshall Wavell’s Deputy Chief of Staff. In 1943 Brigadier John Whiteley was killed 

in the plane that crashed just after take-off from Gibraltar that was also carrying, 

among the 16 who died, Victor Cazalet and General Sikorski. 

After Eton Tim went to study economics at Cambridge but was too busy doing 

what students do to do any gardening and it was not until he went to Rhodesia as 

ADC to Lord Llewellin, Governor General of the Central African Federation, that he 

was able to enjoy gardening again at Government House. 

After marriage in 1955 to his wife Jane he moved into his mother’s house, 

Mixbury Hall, near his present property where he managed a farm. 

In the 1960s he was asked to chair the new Water Board that had just been 

created for the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire. He was to become 

Chairman of the Finance Committee of Thames Water – charging for water was his 

area of expertise and in that capacity he travelled extensively advising the World 

Bank, the US government and the European Commission in Brussels, which he 

found very interesting. He was also appointed Chairman of the Water Research 

Centre Company, an aspect of the industry that he found fascinating. 

Tim is the sort of person who accepts any task he is asked to do, as he said 

himself, his life has “gone the way the wind has blown, the doors were always open 

and I have had a lot of fun.” He has taken successes and disappointments with 

equal quiet equanimity and a solid dose of philosophy. 

He was, for example, when Ted Heath introduced VAT, asked among ten other 

people to go round the country explaining VAT. He has been Chairman of the 

Bench, a dressage judge, got involved with country things, including starting and 

75

unning a hunt supporters club and Church things, among many – of all these 

achievements he modestly says that he has never climbed to the top of very big 

trees but only medium sized ones! He was nevertheless awarded an OBE in 1984 

for his services to the Water Industry. 

He stayed with Thames Water until just before privatisation in 1986, at which 

point Robin Herbert who was then President of the Royal Horticultural Society 

asked him to join Council and later, on the advice of Alan Hardy, became Chairman 

of the Lily Group. He feels that he has never looked back since then. Through his 

interest in trees he joined the International Dendrology Society in 1987 when he 

was asked to be Treasurer in which capacity he served until 1993 and in 2003 until 

2010 he was Vice-President for Great-Britain. He served on Council of the IDS 

throughout most of this period. 

Until he purchased Evenley Wood Tim had grown a collection of bulbs at 

Mixbury Hall but had never felt that he would stay so he didn’t extend his gardening 

activities. The first time I visited Evenley Wood was nearly 30 years ago and the 

project was in its infancy but it showed great promise and in characteristic style 

he led the group I was with round the woodland with great enthusiasm. In the 

1994-1995 edition of Lilies and Related Plants is an article, he wrote, outlining 

the rules he had set out for himself from the start, his aims and the plants that 

he grew then. The main genera of woody plants grown are Magnolia – he is 

conducting a trial of the species on alkaline soil for the RHS – Quercus, Malus and 

Euonymus. This latter genus is now perhaps the largest collection, in cultivation, 

of species and forms in Europe and when I visited in the autumn to my question 

of “why Euonymus?” he showed me the plant that started it all – the common 

Euonymus europaeus. He knew nothing of the genus when he spotted it in the 

woodland the first time, started to read about it and became interested. 

Over the years he has trained himself to have a good eye and among the plants 

he has named are a form of Quercus rubra ‘Aurea’, Quercus ‘Evenley Gold’ and 

Acer campestre ‘Evenley Red’, which he spotted growing in a hedgerow and tied a 

piece of string round it so as to be able to observe it. 

He has also become increasingly interested in wild apples, pear, plums 

and rowans. Among the rarest he grows Malus sieversii, a wild apple native 

of Central Asia from which almost all cultivated apples come. Pyrus regellii 

pinnatifida which he grew from seed, Sorbus porrigentiformis from Cheddar and 

S . pseudohupehensis which has pinkish-white fruit, and Prunus sogdiana which is 

described in New Trees as “a pretty, hardy little tree with abundant white blossom, 

followed by tasty plums”. 

Inevitably such a wide range of plants and careful management has meant that 

Evenley Wood has become a haven for birds, butterflies, insects, mosses, liverworts 

and fungi, with surveys being made for each – a source of great pleasure for Tim. 

76

In the 1994 article he wrote about some of the bulbous genera he grew – these 

have, over the years, become huge attractions; snowdrop time (the genus 

Galanthus flowers from October to April, with a late flowering G . plicatum) is a 

highlight with some 80 different named varieties (he also supplies the trade with 

large quantities of plants); he has planted a scilla river (which starts with a pond 

and crosses the whole woodland) which is spectacular in April, and more recently 

some white Narcissus ‘Thalia’ dotted in a matrix, as he saw and admired in an 

orchard during a stay in Italy, rather than en masse and is planning a pink-bell wood. 

Over the years Tim has flowered some 45 lilies species and among them he 

finds the most spectacular is the North American Lilium canadense. 

When I visited in the summer at the height of the lily-flowering season, the 

highlight for me was his recent introduction L . ‘Garden Society’ of which the seed 

parent is L . occidentale. I was also treated to Lilium pardalinum by a stream, 

Lilium martagon cattaniae that flowers some two weeks after L . martagon and 

have marvellous shiny purple flowers, the North hybrid ‘Eros’, a sweetly scented 

L . wardii, a Judith Freeman cultivar ‘Last Dance’, a large stand of L . superbum 

that is 20 years old and the scented oriental ‘Conca d’Or’ in clumps of lemon 

yellow. Lilium monadelphum had finished flowering as had the martagon hybrid 

‘Theodor Haber’ the extensive stand of which stood erect and proud and, in flower 

must have been a beautiful sight. There were still many more to flower, the season 

lasts from June to October, and they are obviously a huge asset to the garden. 

For years Tim was the head gardener with part-time people and volunteers 

helping but in the last four years he has had a head gardener, Mike Fisher, which 

has made a huge difference. He still does the mowing which gives him a chance 

to look around and see what needs attention. He endeavours to ensure that 

every plant in the garden is named and has, over the years, compiled a complete 

catalogue of the collection (it includes over 3,000 taxa), which is a useful reference 

for historic purposes and is a huge help when a label gets lost. Now in his 80 th 

year Tim knows that he cannot do as much as he used to although it was difficult 

to imagine as we marched up the 300-yard avenue of Tilia cordata that links the 

house to the woodland and he wryly commented that he had planted every single 

tree with his own hands. 

Although he is usually self-effacing and modest about his achievements, it is 

perhaps the fact that he has created his woodland garden with his own hard work 

which gives him so much pleasure, that and the fact that he loves having people 

round the wood and talking to them. He told me that he and his wife Jane had met 

countless people they would never otherwise have met and these last 30 gardening 

years of his life have given him huge satisfaction. 

www.evenleywoodgarden.co.uk 

77

78 

The beginnings of a 

national collection 

‘Pan’ and ‘Orestes’ 

Since writing the following article, Madeleine Tinson has achieved 

her ambition to become a National Collection Holder of North hybrids . 

Back in 2007 I had no idea that I had just taken the first step on my journey to 

becoming a National Collection Holder for The Mynefield Lilies, also known as 

North Hybrids. I had seen a ‘host’ of Norths flowering at Branklyn Gardens in my 

home town of Perth, Scotland. Being a lover of lilies, I wanted to grow some in 

my own patch. With some considerable difficulty and the help of Branklyn’s Head 

Gardener Steve McNamara, I tracked down a supplier, who had sold out her stock 

and ceased trading. I managed to buy what was left: 10 cultivars, many of the 

bulbs only pea-sized. To my delight a few of the larger ones flowered. That was 

me well and truly hooked, and I wanted more. With the use of the Internet, and 

by reading as many publications on the late Dr Christopher North as I could find, 

my quest stepped up a gear in 2010. I am so pleased to have mastered the use of 

a computer, as sending emails has been such a boost to making contacts. Joining 

the RHS Lily Group and Plant Heritage has also put me in touch with so many 

helpful, kind and generous people. My collection has increased to 20, and I now 

have another one in my sights. 

Collection Holders have to be dedicated, and have a passion for their chosen 

genus. As you start to seek out the plants it helps to be very focused on your goal 

and not be easily put off. There have been so many dead ends I have followed, but 

there has, somehow, sometime later, been a breakthrough. Never fail to follow up 

an offer, be it a plant or information, as you can never be sure what the outcome 

will be. I am sure I have developed a ‘thick skin’ when it comes to my quest. So,

when I was recently given the chance to 

appear on Beechgrove Gardens, a BBC 

Scotland TV program, I said yes. 

A six-minute feature on my 

collection took all day to film. It was 

a day to remember, full of thrills and 

new experiences. On the day of the 

broadcast I was not sure I would be 

able to watch myself, or would have to 

‘hide behind the sofa’. All turned out 

well and many compliments have come 

my way, as well as two people who 

‘Theseus’ 

contacted me after my appeal for the elusive cultivars I would like to trace. It has 

been said that I ‘must be a little mad’. Well, if driving a round trip of four hours to 

‘Marie’ 

79

‘Angela’ ‘Rosemary’ 

collect a plant is that, then I put my hand up, as guilty! 

Now I have reached the final hurdle: my application form to become a National 

Collection Holder. Even the form is daunting, but I can understand why. Plant 

Heritage needs to be confident that the applicant will be dedicated to the task. I 

hope it’s accepted. Then my work will really begin, having the care of a unique and 

unusual collection of lily hybrids. 

Read any book on lilies and the chapter on ‘Diseases’ reads like a horror 

story. But my outlook on it is: Forewarned is forearmed! It also helps to think 

that all life has an inbuilt will to survive. When it comes to the North Hybrids, 

one of Dr North’s criteria for his lilies was that they would tolerate the Scottish 

climate. As it has turned out, many have lived up to this. Others are a little more 

‘precious’. 

As I found just sourcing Norths difficult from day one, they have all been 

precious to me, so I have always been aware and devoted to their needs. It’s only 

in the last few years that I have felt secure in planting some into the open ground, 

always keeping a reserve in pots. The bulk of my collection is kept in clay pots 

using a multi-purpose compost with added John Innes, to which I add plenty of 

extra grit and sand. I would love to be able to tell everyone a full-proof way of 

growing lilies, but all that I can suggest is to arm yourself with a good book and use 

it as a guide. I am not a lover of chemicals, so only use a soft soap solution as a 

spray to see off greenfly. As yet, fingers crossed, touch wood, no ‘red coated’ aliens 

(I can’t bring myself to write its name) up our way! 

Footnote 

This article was first published by Plant Heritage (2011) and is reprinted here by kind permission. 

80

Classifying lilies into botanical-utility 

sections using DNA properties 

The potential for classifying species lilies more accurately using 

their DNA has attracted a lot of attention in recent years . In the 

following article Br˘etislav Mic˘ulka presents his thoughts on 

this important area of research . 

The Genus Lilium is classified into species according to certain identical 

morphological and genetic characteristics. Other properties can generate varieties 

and minor variations may constitute forms. These taxonomic categories, for lilies, 

are known, botanically, as taxa. 

Plants of one species may be more or less successfully interbred with another, 

but plants of different species of one genus only with difficultly and rather 

rarely. Kinship and morphological resemblances of different botanical species 

are preserved in their phylogenic development, which can be determined by 

DNA. Relationship is often cited according to Comber 1949, who worked mainly 

with morphological characteristics. Recently, however, similarity is assessed with 

greater emphasis on the genetic makeup by Ikinci et al. 2006 (M. Hohenegger 

2008) and especially by Van Tuyl et al. 1996. Botanical names are managed by the 

International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). 

The genera of plants that have become culturally useful by crossing and 

selecting plants to reinforce and build the required properties have formed 

another taxonomic category called culta as cultivars (varieties) and groups. The 

same is true of lilies. Names in this case are governed by the International Code of 

Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), which was first issued in 1953, the last 

edition being published in 2004 (C. D. Brickell et al.). 

With the development of growing lilies, their crossing and intersection have 

also developed. In gardening practice in particular this has led to the need 

to sort hybrid lilies into sections, mainly for exhibition purposes by their 

evaluation. Therefore, well-known grower and breeder of lilies Jan de Graaff 

through the use of the botanical classification of Comber, has only divided hybrid 

lilies into sections, (in English literature incorrectly divisions), where the included 

species, taxa and culta, are capable of mutual intercrossing, at least to some 

extent. When the first edition of the International Registry of lilies (Peterson 

1960) was published it became the basis of De Graaff ’s classification in cooperation 

with the two largest lily societies – North American Lily Society (NALS) and Royal 

Horticultural Society – Lily Group (RHS – LG). 

Seven sections of hybrids were created with designated origins (I to VII) 

81

supplemented with a section of non classified hybrids in these previous sections 

(VIII), and a section of botanical taxa, including intraspecific cultivars (IX), such as 

in ILR 1982 (A. C. Leslie 1982): 

I : Asiatic hybrids 

II : Martagon hybrids 

III : European hybrids 

(now Euro-Caucasian hybrids) 

IV : American hybrids 

V : Longiflorum hybrids 

(now Longiflorum lilies) 

82 

VI : Trumpets and Aurelians 

(Chinese hybrids, now too) 

VII : Oriental hybrids 

VIII : Not placed hybrids 

IX : Botanical taxa and intraspecific 

cultivars and groups 

In the new edition of ILRC (Matthews 2007) section III was renamed as Euro- 

Caucasian hybrids and section V as Longiflorum lilies, where not only hybrids 

are classified, but also intraspecific cultivars mainly of L . longiflorum, of which 

there are many. There were obviously commercial reasons for their producers to 

make this alteration. However, the unity of the system was thus destroyed, where 

previously it had been the basis of looking at the division of all lilies in terms of 

cultivation and practice within a related system. 

In terms of practical use the largest drawback of the aforementioned division 

is that related lilies, which mutually intercross relatively well, are usually scattered 

in two sections, namely some in hybrid section I - VIII and botanical section IX (for 

example a combination of ‘Marhan’ (IX) × ‘Claude Shride’ (II) or when crossing 

‘Lambada’ (I) × L . bulbiferum var. croceum (IX)). Similarly, when crossing 

L . canadense (IX) × L . martagon ‘Lush’ (IX) – originally hybrids of section II. The 

second defect is the limited number of 7 defined hybrid sections. 

The solution to these problems is to create the botanical-utility sections 

required to be used, more particularly in breeding practice. This question was 

dealt with earlier in the first proposals to amend the registration of lilies (Mic˘ulka 

1996) and realized in the publication Growing lilies (Mic˘ulka 2001) and elaborated 

further in the publication and CD-R: Varieties of the world’s lilies (Mic˘ulka 

2008). With minor modifications it is represented in the following botanical-utility 

system for plants in agriculture (including horticulture) and forestry. The need for 

a refinement was suggested in the new edition of the ILRC 2007 with the division 

into sections of hybrid cultivars along with intraspecific cultivars in section V, which 

was renamed Longiflorum lilies. New section names were chosen according to 

the approximate range of botanical lilies in the classified section. Botanical species 

mentioned in the sections were taken from Matthews (2007). Hybrid species with 

the Latin name, e.g. L . ×aurelianense are part of the section, in this case, section 

6 – Chinese lilies.

In the sections are included the taxa and culta of lilies, such as in section 1, Asiatic 

lilies: 

botanical species (L . davidii and others), taxa : L . davidii var. willmottiae, 

L . dauricum f. rebunense, 

“hybrid species” : Scottiae Group, 

intraspecific hybrids and cultivars : (‘Rex’), 

interspecific hybrids and cultivars : (‘Apricot Glow’), 

intraspecific groups : (Davimottiae Group), 

hybrid cultivars : (‘Carol Jean’), 

hybrid groups : (Sympfonieta Group), 

intrasectional hybrids, cultivars : (‘Cinnabar’), 

(Citronella Group) et cetera. 

Botanical-utility system of lily sections 

0 Uncategorized lilies (0) with species, their taxa as well as intraspecific cultivars 

and interspecific hybrids: L . nepalense, ‘Kushi Maya’, etc. Sections of species 

and their taxa, intraspecific and interspecific cultivars, and groups et cetera: 

1 Asiatic lilies (As) with the origin in species and their hybrids: Ll . amabile, 

bulbiferum, callosum, cernuum, concolor, dauricum, davidii, lancifolium, 

lankongense, leichtlinii, pumilum, wardii and wilsonii. 

2 Eurasiatic lilies (Ea) from species and their hybrids: Ll . hansonii, martagon, 

medeoloides and tsingtauense (M). 

3 Euro-caucasian lilies (Ec) from species and their hybrids: Ll . candidum, 

chalcedonicum, kesselringianum, monadelphum, pomponium and 

pyrenaicum. 

4 American lilies (Am) from the species and their hybrids: Ll . bolanderi, 

canadense, columbianum, grayi, humboldtii, kelleyanum, kelloggii, 

maritimum, michauxii, michiganense, occidentale, pardalinum, parryi, 

parvum, philadelphicum, pitkinense, superbum, vollmeri, washingtonianum 

and wigginsii. 

5 Formosan lilies (F) from species and their hybrids: Ll . formosanum, 

longiflorum, philippinense and wallichianum. 

83

6 Chinese lilies (Ch) from species and their hybrids: Ll . brownii, henryi, 

leucanthum, regale, rosthornii, sargentiae and sulphureum. 

7 Oriental lilies (O) with species and their hybrids: Ll . auratum, japonicum, 

nobilissimum, rubellum and speciosum. 

Abbreviations of names of lily hybrid sections are placed after the names. The 

name of the sixth section was changed to Chinese lilies, because it includes the 

species Ll . henryi and rosthornii. 

The system can be also be extended and utilized for intersectional and 

multisectional hybrids, known by the English abbreviations. 

Intersectional hybrids: 

11 - FAs-hybrids (5 × 1) - (now LA-hybrids), 

12 - OCh-hybrids (7 × 6) - (now OT-hybrids), 

13 - OAs-hybrids (7 × 1) - (now AO-hybrids), 

14 - FO-hybrids (5 × 7) - (now LO-hybrids). 

Multisectional hybrids: derived from three or more sections: 

21 - AsChO-hybrids (1 × 6 × 7), 

22 - AsChFO-hybrids (1 × 6 × 5 × 7). 

The arrangement of the register with reference to a botanical-utility system of lilies 

In an alphabetical register names of cultivars and groups are critical. Other 

botanical information, including intraspecific cultivars and groups should be given 

after the variety or group name. Therefore, not L . ×kewense ‘White Henryi’ as 

with the description, but the description after the variety name ‘White Henryi’, 

because such a register is needed and works primarily for horticultural practice. 

References 

Brickell C. D. et al. (2004). International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. Acta 

Horticulturae 647, ISHS Leuwen. 

Comber H. F. (1949). A new classification of the genus Lilium. RHS Lily Year Book, pp.86-105. 

Hohenegger M. (2008). http://the-genus-lilium.com/images/basics/lilium_phylogeneny01 

Leslie A. C. (1982). The International Lily Register 1982. Third Edition. RHS London. 377pp. 

Matthews V. (2007). The International Lily Register and Checklist 2007. Fourth Edition. RHS 

London. 948pp. 

Mic˘ulka B. (1996). Remarks re Proposed Lily Horticultural Classification. NALS QB, 50, 

pp.12-15. 

Mic˘ulka B (2001). Pĕstujeme lilie. Brázda Praha. 118pp. 

Mic˘ulka B. (2008). Odru˚dy svĕtovélho sortimentu lilií. LILIUM Brno. 210 pp. (also as CD-R). 

Peterson G.E. (1960). The International Lily Register. RHS London. 

Trehane P. et al. (1995). International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. 

Quarterjack Publishing, Wimborne. 175pp. 

84

Some thoughts on the infraspecific 

nomenclature of lilies 

In his article Jim McKenney explores the implications of the 

emergence of the modern species concept for lilies . 

Several years ago I acquired a plant of Lilium canadense which, when it bloomed, 

proved to have very attractive red bell flowers. The following year it was even 

better, and I toyed with the idea of exhibiting it at a local show. Although this 

species still grows wild in all of the states of the United States and provinces of 

Canada within its historic range, many lily growers have never seen it in the wild or, 

in my part of the country (the greater Washington, D.C., USA area), on a local show 

bench. Who knows, if the public came to realize that such a beautiful plant grew 

wild in the area, it might help conservation efforts. 

As I leaned in the direction of showing the plant a dilemma arose: what should I 

call it? Red-flowered Lilium canadense have been grown under several names over 

the years: rubrum, coccineum and editorum all spring to mind. I eventually opted 

for showing it under the name Lilium canadense, and why I made that decision is 

what this piece is about. 

When it comes to questions about the nomenclature of the wild lilies, most 

lily enthusiasts are content to accept the pronouncements of the experts. Names 

in long usage, such as rubrum, coccineum and editorum as applied to Lilium 

canadense, are, once launched, difficult to dislodge. Few amateur lily growers are 

probably aware that a subtle yet fundamentally important shift in the philosophy of 

taxonomy took place during the second half of the twentieth century. It was then 

that the modern species concept emerged. 

How does the modern species concept differ from the older concept of 

species? Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the primary (and essentially 

only) criteria for distinguishing species were morphological. Late in the nineteenth 

century the discipline of genetics was born in the experiments of Gregor 

Mendel. Genetics was to provide the insight which in effect overturned the primacy 

of morphology in distinguishing species. Early in the twentieth century the concept 

of the gene pool emerged. The metaphor of the gene pool became the basis of 

the modern species concept. In the modern species concept, sexually reproducing 

organisms which interbreed to produce viable progeny are said to be a species. 

Note that the criterion is the ability to interbreed and produce viable progeny, 

not some morphological criterion such as leaf width, flower shape or color and 

so on. 

To old school taxonomists, two organisms were members of the same species 

85

ecause they looked alike. In the modern species concept, two organisms are 

members of the same species if they are capable of interbreeding and producing 

viable progeny. Here’s another way to put it: two organisms are not members of 

the same species because they look alike; it’s the other way around – they look 

alike because they are members of the same species and share the same gene pool. 

What does this have to do with my Lilium canadense? Old school taxonomists 

established a number of infraspecific names for this species based on nothing more 

than flower color. This fits right into the way most gardeners think taxonomy 

works: it’s widely believed by the gardening public that the yellow ones should 

be called flavum, the white ones called album, the red ones called ruburm and 

so on. This is an example of old school pigeon holing taxonomy, where one of the 

goals is to name every minor variant. 

Modern species concept is not concerned with morphological details such as 

minor structural variations. It is concerned with interbreeding populations. If 

the minor structural variations are characteristic of a discrete interbreeding 

population, then that population merits taxonomic distinction. But if the minor 

structural variations are the sort which occur randomly here and there in a greater 

population and do not correspond to discrete populations, then they do not merit 

taxonomic distinction. 

Here’s an example of this. It is a basic premise of taxonomy that the members 

of a given group are more closely related to one another than they are to any 

other organisms in groups of equal rank. Take the case of a very widely distributed 

species. If a taxonomist names a white-flowered example from one geographic 

extreme of this species as subspecies or variety album, what are we to call a whiteflowered 

example from an opposite geographic extreme of the same species? 

Surely the white-flowered plants at one geographic extreme are more closely 

related to other plants of normal coloration growing in the same area than they 

are to white-flowered plants growing in some opposite geographic extreme. To 

the old school pigeon holing taxonomist, both were variety album. I’ll stick my 

neck out and say that in terms of modern species concept neither white-flowered 

86 

Lilium canadense

plant deserves taxonomic recognition. On the other hand, if those white-flowered 

plants had formed discrete interbreeding populations, then they would deserve 

taxonomic recognition. 

This has significance for the taxonomy of our lilies. Keeping in mind that the 

names should correspond to discrete interbreeding populations, we have no 

reason to retain such names as Lilium canadense var. rubrum, L . canadense var. 

coccineum, L . canadense var. editorum, and L . canadense var. immaculatum (to 

cite the best known names from early twentieth century lily books). And what 

should we call them? If the plants in question are clones, the sensible solution 

is to give them clonal vernacular names as is done with other garden plants. If 

they are not clones, then the term Group is available for use until the significant 

clones are sorted out. This term Group has no taxonomic rank and does not imply 

relationship from a common ancestor. 

Thus, instead of calling a plant Lilium canadense var. immaculatum, if the plant 

has been raised from seed call it Lilium canadense Immaculatum Group. Note that 

Latin form names published before 1952 may be used; after that date vernacular 

names must be used. 

Other lilies which need the same treatment are the yellow-flowered forms of 

Lilium henryi. An old name is available here, the name citrinum. It was published 

early enough that it passes the date test, but since no one can authoritatively say 

which yellow-flowered Lilium henryi is the original clone, the name citrinum 

ought to be eschewed as a source of confusion. These yellow-flowered plants may 

be correctly called Lilium henryi Citrinum Group, but again the better solution is 

to sort them out and name each clone separately. 

As an interesting aside, note that the name Lilium leichtlinii is based on a 

yellow-flowered mutation and is not based on a discrete yellow-flowered 

population. As such, these yellow-flowered plants do not merit separate taxonomic 

distinction. Yet they were the first named members of their species, and 

so the name applied to them becomes the name of their species (most of which 

are orange-flowered). Orange-flowered plants and the aberrant yellow-flowered 

plants of this species are equally simply L . leichtlinii. If, as gardeners, we need to 

distinguish color forms, we should resort to clonal names or Group names. 

Now back to my red flowered Lilium canadense. One of the names I considered 

was Lilium canadense var. editorum (the name was published as a variety and 

later as a subspecies). Many liriophiles would not hesitate to call my lily Lilium 

canadense var. editorum. But if you have followed the explanations given above, 

then you know where I’m going with this: such a thing as Lilium canadense var. 

editorum as a discrete sexually reproducing population does not exist. 

What are the plants sometimes called Lilium canadense var. editorum? One 

can see an image of Fernald’s type specimen on-line, and the first thing which 

87

stands out is that the tepals do not reflex much on the type specimens. Yet the 

name editorum has been freely applied to lilies with strongly reflexed tepals. 

Here’s my take on this: if editorum were to be recognized as a real subspecies 

(I’m not suggesting that it should), then the name should be restricted to those 

plants with tepals which do not reflex. 

Fernald himself appears not to have realized what he had done: his type 

specimen is clearly of a plant which has tepals which do not reflex much if at all. Yet 

he later applied the name editorum to plants with reflexed tepals. If (and there 

is no evidence for this if) these plants with non-reflexed tepals formed a discrete 

sexually reproducing population, then the name editorum would be available 

for them. 

To understand what these plants are, one must take into consideration the type 

locality of Fernald’s plants. The type locality of editorum is Giles County, Virginia. 

In this part of southwestern Virginia Lilium canadense and L . grayi are in a specieslike 

relationship. One interesting aspect of this is that L . grayi south of this area 

shows little if any sign of hybridization. But around the Virginia-North Carolina 

and Virginia-Tennessee borders, all sorts of intergrades appear, and the farther 

one moves from this area northward, the more the L . canadense characteristics 

prevail. The genes of L . grayi are now scattered throughout populations of what 

are nominally L . canadense far to the north. Even in Pennsylvania and New 

Jersey plants appear with the short stature, red flowers and the barely reflexed 

tepals of L . grayi – and the foliage of L . canadense. Has typical L . canadense 

captured old relic populations of L . grayi in these areas? Or has some pollinator 

such as hummingbirds been responsible for the gradual northward expansion of 

characteristics which seem to suggest L . grayi well into the range of undoubted 

L . canadense? 

Among the lilies of eastern North America, Lilium canadense and L . grayi 

have long been considered to be most closely related. When Sereno Watson 

named L . grayi in 1879, Asa Gray himself expressed doubts that it represented a 

species distinct from L . canadense. If they shared a common ancestor, then the 

interaction of these two species in southwestern Virginia is an example of what 

is sometimes called reticulate evolution: the phenomenon in which an ancestral 

species diversifies into two or more species (perhaps geographically separated), 

only to merge into a single species in the future when the formerly separated 

populations meet again. 

So, if you have considered the possibilities sketched out above, you will 

understand why I called my lily simply Lilium canadense. 

In the accompanying image (see page 86) you see it paired with another eastern 

North American native, Delphinium exaltatum. They make a handsome couple, 

don’t they? 

88

Lilium columbianum in seed towers above its rhizomatous companion, Prosartes 

hookeri and inset, shown in flower. 

Good companions: 

Prosartes and Streptopus 

Paige Woodward feels that Streptopus and Prosartes, both members 

of Liliaceae, deserve to be more widely known and grown . In the 

following article she extols their virtues . 

True lilies have long found good companions in their frond-like, rhizomatous 

cousins: Polygonatum, Uvularia, Maianthemum and so on. I’d like to suggest 

why frondy companions work so well and then spotlight a couple of other 

rhizomatous genera – Prosartes and Streptopus – whose representatives in western 

North America deserve to be more widely grown. 

Of course it helps to choose companion plants with similar needs in the first 

place. Light, pH: Bring on the variables. But beyond what we gardeners decide, 

plants have their own tactics. Many groups, including true lilies and their cousins, 

can share nutrients and water through several related fungi linking their roots, a 

form of mutual aid called mycorrhiza. Achieving such underground connections 

with each other, and sometimes with other plants nearby, is one definition of a 

transplant’s settling in. 

89

Above, Prosartes hookeri two year old seedlings en masse. 

Below, P. hookeri fruits. 

90

Rhododendrons, so often planted 

with true lilies, have fungal associations 

very different from those of lilies, by 

the way, as do some other groups of 

plants. This makes it harder to be allies 

from the ground up. 

On the rainswept mountain in 

southwestern British Columbia 

where I garden with my mother, the 

case for fronds is circumstantial but 

persuasive. Lilium columbianum, the 

western tiger-lily, still grows wild here, 

along with Trillium ovatum, Clintonia 

uniflora, Fritillaria affinis, Prosartes 

(Disporum) hookeri and three 

species of Maianthemum: dilatatum, 

racemosum and stellatum, the 

latter two sometimes still called 

Smilacina. Erythronium oregonum 

and E . revolutum, native close by, are 

naturalizing amid the trilliums. 

All these plants sort themselves 

Above, Prosartes hookeri rivals ‘Molly 

the Witch’ (Paeonia daurica subsp. 

mlokosewitschii) in height. 

according to their needs. Swathes of one species grade into swathes of another. 

Rising from this liliaceous salad, scattered stems of L . columbianum bloom on 

every hillside, 8ft (2.5m) tall in full sun, 3ft (1m) tall in shade. 

But some of these companion plants are ephemeral. Erythronium and Trillium 

are beautiful, we rejoice in them, and just when Lilium is far enough along to need 

shade at its foot, they’re gone. 

Frond-like genera, on the other hand, tend to last from spring till frost. They 

may even shade the space above sleeping ephemerals. (This is also a move to 

take over, but since the roots often settle at different levels in the soil, and the 

soil is rich, and I am busy, I seldom interfere.) Fronds make good companions for 

L . columbianum and, it is turning out, for all the other lilies in our garden. 

Now on to the companions I’m promoting: Prosartes and Streptopus. 

Both genera make handsome garden specimens on their own. But as 

companions, I recommend P . hookeri for most lilies and S . amplexifolius and 

S . lanceolatus for martagons and a few other shade lovers, such as L . auratum 

and L . japonicum. 

Prosartes, or Fairy Bells, always branches, and it flowers only at the ends of 

those branches. Its name (Greek “fastened”) apparently refers to how its fruits 

91

and flowers dangle. Streptopus, or Twisted-stalk, may branch or not, depending on 

the species, but it flowers and fruits all down its stems. 

Prosartes contains the five North American species once treated as Disporum 

section Prosartes; Disporum is now a purely Asian genus. The differences that 

justify the split are “micromorphological, karyological, phytochemical and 

phylogenetic,” to quote the Flora of China. Invisible to the naked eye, in other 

words. But these differences are currently seen as enough to put the two in 

different families: Prosartes in Liliaceae, Disporum in Asparagaceae with, as it 

happens, Streptopus. (That’s what Kew’s Plant List: www.theplantlist.org said as I 

finished these notes. If you don’t like the taxonomical weather, wait a while. Or as 

my friend the botanist Adolf Ceska is fond of saying, “Plants don’t care what we call 

them.”) 

Three of the five Prosartes are broadly similar in appearance, with white bell 

flowers dangling below their drip-tips in spring and scarlet berries in late summer. I 

have grown all three. 

92 

Streptopus amplexifolius 

Streptopus lanceolatus flowers.

Prosartes hookeri, robust, beautiful 

and by far the easiest to grow, in my 

experience, is named for the botanist 

William Jackson Hooker (1785 - 1865), 

first director of the Royal Botanic 

Gardens, Kew, and father of the even 

more celebrated botanist Joseph Dalton 

Hooker. 

In the wild it prefers moist, lowelevation 

woods and forest edges from 

BC and Alberta south to California and 

Montana. In our garden it frequently 

attains shrub-like dimensions, thriving 

not just in open sun and rich humus, 

but in damp, shaded clay and even in 

dry shade under maples. 

Dwarfs and other interesting 

variations of P . hookeri have been 

noted. In the Siskiyou Range, in 

Streptopus amplexifolius fruits showing 

kinked peduncles. 

Oregon, a few years ago I saw a condensed form with red stems that I wish we had 

in our gardens. 

Prosartes smithii is named for James Edward Smith (1759 - 1828), botanist and 

first president of the Linnean Society in London. It is fairly uncommon, native 

to moist, dappled forests at low elevations west of the Cascade Range from BC 

to northern California. Its long, narrow white flowers flare only slightly, near the 

mouth, so that the stamens are scarely visible. Unusual in Prosartes, the stems and 

leaves are essentially hairless. 

Prosartes trachycarpa (“rough-fruited”) has berries covered with tiny bumps. 

Otherwise resembling P . hookeri, but more condensed, leathery and hairy, it is 

native to rich, moist forests, both deciduous and coniferous, in the western interior 

of North America from Alberta to Manitoba and south to New Mexico. 

The other two Prosartes are native to eastern North America; they are beautiful but 

I know much less about them. 

Prosartes lanuginosa (“woolly, downy”), or Yellow Mandarin, has red berries but 

pale green, often spidery-looking flowers. It grows mainly in the Appalachian and 

Ozark mountains, though its range extends just into Ontario. It prefers damp, 

93

ich soil in deciduous forests at low elevations. I have never grown it, though I’d 

like to. 

Prosartes maculata (“spotted”), or Nodding Mandarin, has larger, more open, 

cream flowers speckled with purple, and pale yellow fruits. It is difficult to grow 

outside its narrow, mainly Appalachian range because it requires duff of mature, 

ancient deciduous forests. I have lost it several times. 

Streptopus was named from the Greek streptos, “twisted” and pous, “foot”. Sounds 

like “sprained ankle” but in fact the name alludes to the kinked, wiry 

94 

Above, Streptopus amplexifolius, 

Lysichiton americanum. 

Left, Streptopus streptopoides in fruit 

in a trough.

stemlets – peduncles – that dangle this plant’s lovely fruits before the creatures who 

will devour, distribute or at least photograph them. 

There may be 10 Streptopus species, give or take a taxon in Asia. They all look 

broadly similar and dwell in wet, temperate climates (I was taken aback recently to 

learn of S . chatterjeeanus, S. Dasgupta 2003, described from the Himalaya, but it 

turns out to grow at rainy elevations). 

In North America there are just three Streptopus species, all easy to grow, in my 

experience. 

Streptopus lanceolatus (“lance-leaved”, formerly S. roseus) is the only species 

with pink flowers, and quite variable. Its berries ripen red to purple and it may 

branch or not. Widespread in the northeast and in the far west, it prefers moist, 

lower-elevation woods. On montane trails Near Whistler, BC, several beautiful 

color forms of this species occur. I keep meaning to go back there and select not 

only for color but for height and branching pattern. 

Streptopus amplexifolius (“clasping-leaved”) is just as variable, with many forms 

worth selecting. Its flowers are green to beige with red markings, its berries ripen 

to purple-black and it always branches. Common in much of the east and west, its 

range excludes the centre of the continent and the southern United States. 

Streptopus amplexifolius in our garden grows perhaps 18in (50cm) tall. On the 

west coast of Vancouver Island, in damp old forest along the Clanninick River, it 

attains a similar height. In a wetland in the very rainy Columbia Mountains, however, 

near Revelstoke, BC, I was astounded to see crowds of amplexifolius towering 

above stupendous, 5ft (150cm) skunk cabbages (Lysichiton americanum). Again, 

as a service to horticulture, I simply must go back. 

Streptopus streptopoides (“Streptopus-like indeed”) is a charming, unbranched 

creeper, usually shorter than your thumb though occasionally it bolts to 8in 

(20cm). It has red berries and small, wine-and-green flowers that resemble 

flattened turbans. Var. streptopoides, with hairless leaf margins, grows in scattered, 

damp coniferous sites in an arc from BC through Alaska to Siberia and northern 

Japan; var. japonicus, with hairs on its leaf margins, is native to northern and 

central Honshu, Japan’s main island. I have grown var. streptopoides in a trough 

with rock plants, but it should do well with rain loving lilies and frits too. For scale, 

I think I’ll try the dwarf form of Fritillaria camschatcensis. 

This was a bad year for seed of Streptopus amplexifolius, but I’m sending lots of 

seeds of Prosartes hookeri to the lily-group exchange. Watch for them. 

95

Lilium mackliniae 

96 

A guide to basic lily growing 

(for those who love lilies) 

In this article Harris Howland shares his experience of growing lilies 

through a practical guide to growing his favourite plants . 

It became apparent when talking to Lily Group members, and others, at the 

September 2010 RHS Wisley Flower Show, that these lily growers were looking 

for basic information to help them cultivate lilies more successfully. The following 

information, which could be described as a general purpose guide to lily cultivation, 

is my response to their requests. 

Before we start, please note that lilies grow in the wild in many different 

conditions in the northern hemisphere (none originate in the southern 

hemisphere) with some species requiring very special conditions and attention. 

However, luckily, very many lilies, particularly hybrids and some species, are quite 

happy to grow in the open garden. 

To begin at the beginning… the preferred time for planting lily bulbs is the 

autumn. Lily stems are dying down and the bulbs enter a period of semi-dormancy, 

but, unlike many bulbs, lily bulbs are not totally dormant, so they will be conserving 

their energy and establishing their root system in preparation for growth in the

spring. A note of caution when purchasing new bulbs: many commercial lily bulb 

suppliers list their lily bulbs for spring planting. This is not the best time, but it may 

not be possible to avoid planting then. It would, however, be wise to give these 

late purchases a little extra tender loving care, at least initially. 

Planting 

The old adage is still true when seeking a good planting position – feet in the 

shade – head in the sun. Lilies require a cool root run with good drainage, the 

latter probably the single most important point to successful lily growing. A site 

amongst other plants is recommended as they will provide the shade for the roots 

and use the moisture from the ground. The lilies will grow above them and so be 

in the sun. Dig out the site making sure not to create a sump – a hole with clay 

in the bottom which will restrict drainage and thus hasten the end of many a fine 

lily. Fill the hole with compost or peat (dare that word be mentioned!). Fine grit 

and leaf mould are also beneficial. Never use animal manure! As I feed, I tend to 

use slow release granules at planting, but a liquid tomato fertiliser, e.g. Tomarite, 

during the growing period. (A word of caution – in my experience bonemeal 

attracts foxes to dig up the bulbs to get at the bonemeal.) It is also advantageous to 

dust or dip your bulbs in a fungicide before planting. Plant your bulbs so that there 

is approximately 10 cm (4 inches in old money) between bulb tip and soil surface. 

The only exception to this is L . candidum which should be planted with it’s ‘nose’ 

barely under the surface. Next mark the site! Lily stems just under the surface 

do not take kindly to having a size nine on their heads – or indeed any other size! 

Watering and Feeding 

Spring, when the lily stems are just beginning to emerge, is the time lilies will 

require watering and feeding and this should continue throughout the growing 

period. A regular feed of a liquid fertiliser is recommended. Many lilies can grow 

quite tall so may require staking, particularly if your garden is sited in a windy ‘neck 

of the woods’. Hopefully your lilies will now grow happily and give wonderful 

blooms and perhaps an exquisite perfume. 

I do not intend to explore pollination or seed production until later in this 

article. However, if your stems do develop seed capsules, after flowering, keep 

only two capsules if you want seed. Producing seed uses up energy, so allowing 

more than two capsules to develop could deplete the strength of your bulb. You 

should aim, therefore, to direct as much of the plant’s energy, as you can, back into 

the bulb for next year. This also applies when cutting flower stems. Cut only up to 

one third of the stem and never cut the entire stem until it has died right down and 

turned brown. Then the stem should be cut off as low as possible. Remember to 

burn everything you cut off, as this helps to keep viruses at bay. 

97

A Ryirube hybrid Lilium primulinum 

Growing Lilies in Pots 

Lilies do lend themselves to pot culture, but be aware that lilies require a cool root 

run, i.e. feet in the shade, and pot culture does tend to produce higher compost 

temperatures. One way to avoid this problem, particularly for outdoor growing, is 

to grow hostas in pots and employ the hosta leaves to shade your lily pots. 

I prefer Long Tom Pots, because I believe I can place the bulb high in the 

compost where it tends to be drier, but its roots can probe down for moisture. This 

brings us to the ‘clay or plastic’ debate. I prefer clay. However, clay pots are more 

expensive, heavier and require more watering. On the other hand they do allow 

the transition of moisture through the clay, which creates a temperature drop and 

therefore a cooler root run. Plastic pots are the opposite, i.e. they are cheaper, 

lighter and do not require as much watering as clay pots. 

Pests and Control 

Lilies are not without their problems, the worst of these is the dreaded lily beetle 

(Lilioceris lilii). 

Lily beetles spend the winter in the soil and extra vigilance is required in the 

spring when they emerge. It is then they can be caught, crushed or sprayed. They 

are easier to catch early in the season and early in the morning when they climb up 

the lily stems to sun themselves before flying off. 

Spraying is a more sure way of getting the little critters. The aerosol spray 

Provado is very effective. Provado is also available as a water soluble preparation, 

which can be applied to the lily plant and around its base, thus killing the beetles in 

the ground and being absorbed by the plant. This keeps the beetles and their sticky 

black grubs off your lilies. However care must be taken where bees may be present. 

The Vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is another pest that can give problems, 

mainly in pots and greenhouses. Therefore, a solution of Provado, in water, 

applied in spring and autumn should be used to control this pest. There is also an 

effective biological control available. 

98

Lilium majoense A Richard Hyde hybrid, ‘Kushi Maya’ 

Diseases 

Botrytis elliptica, is a fungus that forms elliptical spots initially, and mainly, on the 

leaves. This disease is usually present in close humid conditions. Fortunately, the 

air is generally buoyant where I live, so Botrytis is less of a problem for me/my 

lilies. In my experience the fungicide Rovral deals with Botrytis effectively. Other 

growers use alternative fungicides to treat Botrytis. 

Pollination 

Why do we pollinate or cross pollinate lilies? I have been careful to say cross 

pollinate not hybridize. This is because in some cases we are looking for pollen of 

a species. This will involve using the pollen from one lily with another lily, usually 

a species, to produce seed of that species. Several Lily Group members have been 

advocating cross-pollinating as a conservation measure to increase the numbers 

of species lilies, by increasing the availability of their seed through the Lily Group 

Seed List. This measure could enhance and extend the range of species lily seed 

offered and that, in turn, could increase the value of the Seed List, which is already 

the Lily Group’s main source of income. 

Some lily growers confine their activities to growing and propagating species 

lilies. Then there are those among us whose approach is, if it is a lily we will try 

and grow it. However when it comes to hybridizing one cannot be sure what one 

is going to get, which for some of us is part of the attraction. Now, I am particularly 

interested in the trumpet lilies and their perfume, but unfortunately many of the 

trumpets of the flower are held in an umbel, i.e. all the pedicels adjoining the main 

stem are in the same place which detracts from their attractiveness. However, 

while pursuing a well-spaced inflorescence I am still aware of the importance of 

colour, shape and strength. 

A further line of hybridizing I am pursuing is with some of the American lilies, 

particularly the West Coast species. Much of my work on these lilies centres 

around L . pardalinum var. giganteum. The reason for this is that it is a robust 

99

lily and does well in my garden. I 

am trying to introduce different 

colours but with the strength of 

L . pardalinum var. giganteum. If 

you are going to hybridize plan a 

certain goal. But also remember 

lilies are fickle and you are never 

sure what you are going to get! 

I will always remember a lovely 

misquote by Dr Arthur Evans when 

I attended the NALS Lily Conference 

in 2000. He said to me that when 

you begin hybridizing remember 

you will have to kiss a lot of frogs 

before you get the princess. 

Producing seed 

Growing lilies from seed is the much preferred method of producing lilies, as seed 

does not transmit any diseases carried by the parent plant. 

The Structure of the Lily Flower 

To understand seed production we must first consider the structure of the lily 

flower and pollination. The lily flower is made up of three true petals and three 

sepals, which lie immediately behind the petals. The petals and sepals may be 

referred to as tepals or as perianth segments. In botanical terms an ovary in front 

of the petals is known as superior, unlike the daffodil ovary which is behind the 

petals. Rising out of the ovary is the style and on the end of the style is the clublike 

stigma. These are all the female parts of the plant or the receptors. Around 

the base of the ovary are six filaments that carry the anthers which in turn carry the 

pollen. These are all the male parts. As the flower opens the anthers also open 

and become hinged allowing the pollen to dry and ripen. 

Methods of Pollination Collection and Transfer 

The transfer of pollen from one lily flower to another will hopefully create seed. 

Producing seed from a species lily, where both flowers are of similar size, should 

not present problems. 

When transferring pollen I prefer to use a pair of tweezers which are easier 

to clean after applications. Many books recommend a brush but this method 

requires many brushes or a lot of cleaning. I remove the whole anther and wipe 

this over the stigma and, if necessary, I use more than one anther. Then I carefully 

100 

Lilium leichtlinii

wipe the tweezers on a tissue. 

The stigma of the lily to receive pollen 

should be covered by a shield made by 

rolling kitchen foil round the end of a 

pencil, or something a little larger in the 

case of some trumpet and oriental lilies, 

which have very large stigmas. The end 

of the foil tube should be flattened 

and the tube placed over the stigma, 

the other end of the tube being gently 

pressed around the style. This is to 

protect against contamination from 

unwanted pollen before the desired 

pollination takes place. Some pollen 

dabbers completely emasculate the lily 

to be pollinated, cutting off the petals, ‘Peggy’ North 

filaments and anthers before it has 

opened. This does create easier access and all that is required is for the shield to be 

removed and the pollen applied to the stigma and the shield replaced. Where one is 

attempting to create a hybrid a little more attention to size may be required. When 

the pollen is applied to the stigma a microscopic filament travels along the style 

to the ovary. If the seed parent has a longer style than the pollen parent then the 

filament may not reach the ovary. So try to select similar size parents or one may 

have to adopt the cut style technique. This involves cutting the length of the style 

to suit the pollen parent’s size. Make the cut with a scalpel so that the cut is at an 

angle with the cut area facing upwards. This not only gives a larger surface but also 

an easier area to apply pollen. It can also be beneficial to apply the sticky secretions 

from a clean uncontaminated stigma of another lily. Trumpet lilies produce a lot 

of this fluid. However this is going to extremes which hopefully you will not have 

to resort to. 

A further aid to successful pollination is raised temperature, so if at all possible 

move the lilies into a greenhouse for cross pollination. Or choose good weather, 

which is easier said than done. Remember to keep all pollinations covered before 

and after executing. 

Hopefully your pollinations will be successful and your lily seed pods swell 

with ripe seed. Keep your eye on the pods. An indication of ripe seed is little slits 

appearing at the top of the pod which can then be harvested. Harvested pods do 

not have to be opened immediately. The seed will continue to ripen if left in a 

warm dry environment. Do keep a watch on any pods left on the plants, as I have 

experienced Blue Tits stealing the seed from pods – little darlings! 

101

Lily seed 

Lily seed is transparent and is very roughly ovate. The individual seeds are 

comprised of three elements: 

102 

1. the outer section or wing 

2. the inner section or endosperm 

3. the embryo 

The endosperm is the food package that sees the embryo through germination. 

The embryo is the little squiggly line sitting in the endosperm. These elements 

can be clearly seen if the seed is held up to the light or alternatively by placing 

the seed on a thin plain piece of white paper held over a torch. This process is 

also used for checking the viability of seed before sending to the Lily Group seed 

list. This process is called ‘candling’ because originally a candle light was used. 

When listing hybrid seed the seed parent always comes first followed by the 

pollen parent. So we have: ‘A’ the lily from which the seed derived × ‘B’ the lily 

which provided the pollen. 

Now that we have bred ourselves loads of viable seeds the next step is to sow 

them. The method I employ, when sowing lily seed, is to use a proprietary potting 

compost and very fine grit. Having filled a pot almost to the rim, I then distribute 

the seed and cover said with a thin layer of compost and cover that with a thin layer 

of fine grit. Then I water the pot and keep my fingers crossed. 

Lily Propagation using vegetative means 

The propagation of lilies can be achieved by sowing seed or by vegetative 

means. Vegetative propagation for the amateur involves the use of one or all of 

the following: 

1. Stem bulbils 

2. Bulblets 

3. Scaling 

There are other methods, such as micro-propagation, whereby lily bulb scales are 

cut into many small cubes and individually placed in test tubes on an agar growing 

medium to develop into larger lily bulbs. This requires strict sterile conditions 

only suitable for the laboratory. All these vegetative methods of propagation 

produce material that is identical to the parent lily bulb. This includes any defects 

and diseases eg. virus. 

There are currently available, from commercial sources probably originating in 

Holland, lily bulbs that have been raised using micro-propagation methods but,

whilst providing good garden plants, in all probability they will not cross with each 

other. They will probably cross with a different type of lily which would of course 

create a hybrid. However, if one wishes to cross these micro-propagated bulbs 

one may have to try two different sources so that with a bit of luck one acquires 

material from different micro-propagated batches. I did exactly that when in 2010 

I acquired some bulbs of L . parryi. I knew these to be micro-propagated and 

unlikely to produce seed. So I acquired some bulbs from another source and used 

the pollen from the first purchase on the flowers of the second purchase. This did 

the trick and I got the seed I wanted. 

1. Stem bulbils Using stem bulbils is probably the easiest method for increasing 

your lilies. Stem bulbils form in the axil, where the leaf joins the main stem. Some 

bulbils will even develop roots while still attached to the parent plant. Bulbils can 

be carefully removed and potted up to be grown into mature bulbs. L . lancifolium 

(formerly L . tigrinum), L . sargentiae and L . sulphureum are three species lilies 

that produce stem bulbils. 

2. Bulblets These are small bulbs produced on or below the surface of the 

ground on the parent plant. They are usually larger than stem bulbils and usually 

have roots from a small size. More care is required when removing these but they 

can be potted on to grow to maturity. 

3. Scaling This involves carefully removing a scale from the parent bulb and 

attempting to break it off as near as possible to the base plate of the bulb. The 

scales are then placed in a plastic bag. A common sandwich bag is ideal for this 

purpose. 

The plastic is very thin and it does permit the passage of some air. A handful 

of vermiculite is placed in the bag and very slightly moistened – but not made too 

wet! The scales are then placed in the vermiculite. It is advisable to lightly dust 

the scales with a fungicide before placing in the bag. The bag can then be sealed 

and placed in an airing cupboard. Keep a regular check on the scales and hopefully 

you will see small white bulbs forming along the bottom edge where the scale was 

broken off from the base plate. When they develop into a manageable size they 

can be potted up. 

Concluding remark 

Undoubtedly, some seasoned lily growers will approach the cultivation of lilies 

using different methods from those outlined in this guide. However, the less 

experienced lily grower should find sufficient guidance to enable them to achieve 

a greater measure of success when growing lilies. 

103

Mike Kune and Wade Hall (right) scout for lilies. 

104 

Recovery of the Sandhills lily – 

Lilium pyrophilum 

In his article Johnny Randall writes about the steps being taken to 

both protect and conserve Lilium pyrophilum, a recently 

recognised new American species . 

Thanks to the generous North American Lily Society (NALS) Research Trust 

Fund grant, we are rounding the bend in our first year of Sandhills lily recovery 

work. Recovery in this sense means that we are striving to determine if we can 

create substantial populations that can buffer the negative effects of inbreeding 

and that can produce enough seeds for natural regeneration. Another important 

part of our project is to collect and store seeds from all known populations. The 

long-term storage of seeds off-site (ex situ conservation) provides insurance against 

extinction in the wild and can provide a seed resource for scientific research for 

those who might do legitimate on-site (in situ) restoration. 

But before I go any further – first some background. The Sandhills lily, Lilium 

pyrophilum, is only a recently recognized species that was described by Skinner 

and Sorrie in 2002. This lily species has masqueraded until now as the Carolina lily 

(L . michauxii), but according to genetic analyses it is most closely related to the 

turk’s-cap lily (L . superbum) of the mountains. We at the North Carolina Botanical

Garden (NCBG) are not the only ones interested in this species. Phylogeographic 

studies – those that analyze the various factors that have shaped Sandhills lily 

distribution coupled with genetic relationships with close relatives – are under way 

in addition to those analyzing demographic features (e.g., size, growth, density, 

and age distribution). 

The Sandhills lily is also a narrow endemic, as it is only known from 42 sites in 

17 counties in the Sandhills region of southern Virginia, North Carolina, and 

northern South Carolina, with most populations containing fewer than 10 

individuals. Its habitat preference is not fully understood, but most populations 

occur within the longleaf pine ecosystem in sandy, wet to dry semi-open habitats 

associated with the heads of streams, in seeps, swampy streams, and in wet utility 

rights-of-way (that are probably tolerated rather than being a preferred habitat). 

As its scientific name implies, L . pyrophilum is “fire-loving.” Like many fire 

dependent plants throughout the US, it has remarkably found refuge within the 

bombing ranges of military bases where fires are common. And because it has only 

recently been officially recognized, it is not listed as a federally endangered species, 

although it is state-listed as endangered and is considered “globally imperiled.” 

For our recovery study, we proposed to: 1. collect and store seeds from all 

known populations in VA, NC, and SC; 2. establish or confirm seed germination 

and bud scale propagation protocols; 3. identify pollinators and pollination 

effectiveness in natural populations; and 4. increase the number of individuals 

within small populations by augmenting select natural populations with seedlings 

and bulb scale derived plantlets. 

Progress toward our goals to-date includes the collection of 2771 seeds from 

6 populations (8 sites). A portion (1106 seeds or 39%) of these were desiccated to 

18% relative humidity, sealed in airtight foil envelopes, and stored at -180°C. Seeds 

not stored were either planted directly into two existing population or pretreated 

using North American Lily Society (NALS) germination protocols for lilies with 

hypogeal germination. The collections at all sites followed a conservative protocol 

to minimize damage caused by over collection at any one particular site. In the 

fall of 2008, a total of 16 populations were visited for seed collection. No collection 

was made at ten of the populations for one or more of the following reasons: 

herbivory of flowers or seed capsules, aborted/malformed capsules, seeds already 

dispersed/too few seeds for a conservative collection, or unable to attain permission 

to access private property. 

On November 6, 2008, we planted 700 seeds at three different natural 

populations: 2 plots of 100 seeds each at North Carolina Plant Conservation 

Program (NCPCP) Eastwood Preserve, 2 plots of 100 seeds each at the Ft. Bragg 

Military Reservation small stream swamp, and 3 plots of 100 seeds each at the 

Weymouth Woods State Park. Seed plots were established using a 1m 2 frame 

105

Lilium pyrophilum bulbs. 

divided into 10cm 2 cells, where one seed was planted in the center of each 

cell. Each corner of the frame was marked so that we can precisely monitor each 

seed for germination, survivorship, and growth. The seeds were sown in situ 

during the fall to mimic the conditions when L . pyrophilum seeds are naturally 

distributed. 

In the winter of 2008, we began the germination of 965 seeds following NALS 

seed germination protocol. Progress is being made, but we are unable to report 

on statistics due to the slow hypogeal germination of Sandhills lily seeds. Our 

protocol uses sphagnum-filled plastic jars instead of bags and we hope that the 

separation of the developing bulb/roots from the sphagnum is not problematic. 

In the summer of 2009, these seedlings will be transferred to individual growing 

cells and placed in our shade house. When fully established in the growing cells, 

700 of the seedlings will be planted into the same three populations, as were the 

seeds (also using the 1m 2 frame method). This seed/seedling comparison study 

will be closely monitored to determine which method is most effective, but also 

noting which of these is most time and labor efficient. 

In March 2009, we collected (with landowner permission) three whole plants 

from a site that is due to be impacted from construction. From these three plants, 

we were able to divide 210 bulb scales for the comparison of bulb scale propagation. 

The scales were sorted into size classes of small, medium and large for further 

comparison of success and were stored cold on moist peat prior to planting. One- 

106

half of the scales, randomly 

selected from all size classes, 

were planted directly in a 

natural population approximately 

one mile from 

the parent population 

within one week of initial 

harvesting. The other half 

of the scales were placed in 

sphagnum-filled plastic bags 

following NALS protocols 

and are currently being cold 

stratified. And although Lilium pyrophilum 

there are no final data to 

report, many of the scales have formed bulbs. The new bulbs will be placed in 

pots and transferred to our shade house. We will plant bulb scale-derived plantlets 

after one season’s growth into the same site as the directly planted bulb scales. 

In order to help ensure that our augmentation work has the greatest chance 

to succeed, all of our research sites are located in permanently protected areas 

that receive regular fire management. Fire-managed areas are also less likely to 

contain invasive plant, pathogen, and pest species such as the Red Lily Beetle. But 

predation by deer and poaching are always potential problems when working with 

plants that have tasty buds and foliage or are valuable in the horticulture trade. 

In addition to the aforementioned activities, in 2009, we will continue to visit 

populations to assess and collect seeds. We will also visit all seven seed plots, the 

bulb scale plots and begin/continue pollinator observations. 

This once obscure species is already in the early stages of recovery thanks to 

those who recognize that the loss of a lily species is unacceptable. And we at 

NCBG feel confidence from our early success with seed germination and bulb scale 

growth that our augmentation project will enable the Sandhills lily to thrive in its 

natural habitat. So stay tuned for updates on our project. 

Acknowledgements 

First and foremost, we thank the North American Lily Society for supporting our recovery 

project. We also thank NC Plant Conservation Program, Weymoth Woods State Park, Ft. 

Bragg Military Reservation/DoD, Moore Co. Board of Education, NC Wildlife Resources 

Commission, and private landowners for permission to visit populations, collect material, 

and establish research plots. 

Footnote 

This article was first published in the North American Lily Society (NALS) Quarterly Bulletin 

(September 1, 2009) and is reprinted here by kind permission of NALS. 

107

108 

In search of Lilium ledebourii 

Information about Lilium ledebourii growing in the wild is quite rare, 

so this article by Mohammad Sadegh provides a useful update 

on this lovely lily’s habitat and status . 

Background 

Lilium Species are a valued part of the Lilium world and their cultivation is one 

of the main projects for experts in many countries. One reason Lilium species 

are important is because in some countries they are rare and endangered. This 

makes obtaining information about the cultivation and propagation of such species 

essential to any project that aims to conserve these lilies to keep their wild nature 

beautiful and alive for people in future. 

Lilium ledebourii is one of the rare and endangered species of Lilium. This 

species is a diploid (2n=24) and is generally classified in the candidum section 

of lilies and is a relative of the other species in that section, e.g. L . monadelphum, 

L . ponticum and L . pomponium. However, further studies are needed to find all 

of the closely related species of Lilium ledebourii. 

Lilium ledebourii grows in some areas of north and north west Iran and also 

in the south of the Azerbaijan Republic. The north west of Iran (Ardabil Province) 

and the south of the Azerbaijan Republic are partners in hosting forests for the 

protection of Lilium ledebourii. The climatic conditions in the north of Iran are

The beauty of Lilium ledebourii. 

109

A bulb and scales of Lilium ledebourii. 

similar to those in the south of the Azerbaijan Republic, with cold winters. However, 

the growing zone in the north of Iran is not very close to the Lilium ledebourii 

growing zone in Ardabil Province. Lilium ledebourii has not been cultivated yet, 

in different parts of Iran, and is still endangered and protected, because of forest 

destruction. 

Some research about the micropropagation of Lilium ledebourii has been 

done, but not published. Therefore, little public information about cultivating this 

species is available. In my online research, about this species, I found that it is 

not easy to cultivate for ordinary gardeners, but I have not found the reason for 

this. My main goal is to cultivate Lilium ledebourii in different conditions and in 

different states of Iran by propagating this species with a clean and disease free 

technique like Tissue Culture. 

Visiting the natural habit of Lilium ledebourii (a species that is difficult to 

grow) could provide information about how to cultivate it by establishing what 

its requirements are; that is why I decided to do it. With this plan in mind, 

I approached my colleague, in our Agricultural Organization, and asked him to 

accompany me to a forested area in the hope of finding this species growing in its 

natural habitat. An important aim of our visit was to obtain some seeds and bulbs 

for propagation purposes. Unfortunately, we did not find any flowering lilies, as 

it was too late in the season (we visited the area in late summer), but we did find 

some black and dried stems and one seed capsule full of seeds. This visit was very 

short, because these forests contain wild animals such as bear, boar and wolves, 

but the trip made it worth accepting these potential difficulties. 

I should stress that the forest we entered is protected, i.e. under the control of 

the forestry service, but we were authorized to take a few bulbs from the forest, 

enough to achieve our goal. 

In its natural habitat, Lilium ledebourii lives under trees. In the forest we 

visited all of the trees were short and they formed a dense cover, which made it 

110

Lilium ledebourii seeds. 

A growing seed of Lilium ledebourii. 

difficult to see what was under them. This made finding lilies, or evidence of lilies, 

very difficult. The top soil around the main stems of the trees is made of decayed 

leaves and grasses and is very well drained, like cocopeat wool or peatmoss wool, 

and the underground soil is heavy and tangled with the roots of trees. 

The bulbs occur at quite a shallow depth, i.e. about 5cm deep, in heavy soil. This 

is overlaid with about 10cm of a top soil/mulch of decayed leaves and grasses. My 

colleague and I found several bulbs, of good size, under the trees and dug up 

nine bulbs in total. The bulbs had thin scales which were clean and white with 

no signs of disease. We were surprised that no underground stem bulblets were 

found around the mature bulbs. Each bulb was growing in its own location with 

some distance separating each bulb. This suggests the bulbs grew from seed, i.e. 

were not asexually propagated. The absence of stem bulblets would also point to 

seed as the source of natural propagation. The seed capsules we found were black 

and wet (because of rainy weather). The capsules contained about 100 seeds with 

good embryos and only a little chaff. The seed germination, of Lilium ledebourii, 

is delayed hypogeal. 

Note: 

Different conditions may induce plants to do something they don’t do naturally, 

so Lilium ledebourii may be able to produce stem bulblets in different growing 

conditions. Hence, further research is needed to learn more about the ways in 

which this species propagates itself (in cultivation and in nature). 

The climatic conditions in which Lilium ledebourii grows 

The climate in Lilium ledebourii’s natural habitat is as follows: 

• spring conditions vary, i.e. it can be cold, cool and wet, or dry; 

• summer months are very dry; 

• autumn can be cool or cold and, depending on rainfall, may be wet or dry; 

111

Habitat of Lilium ledebourii. 

112 

• winter is either cold or very cold, with snow cover of one to two metres, but 

the covering of trees protects the lily bulbs from very heavy snow. 

The natural habitat of Lilium ledebourii 

Lilium ledebourii grows in forests under a covering of short trees. The possible 

reasons for this lily occurring in this type of habitat are as follows: 

• All Lilium ledebourii plants are seed grown and seeds need a humid and 

shaded location that protects them from direct sunlight and also enables 

them to germinate and short trees provide these conditions for Lilium seeds 

to germinate. 

• Lilium ledebourii needs a shaded location and can’t survive in direct hot 

sunlight, except at high altitude, i.e. 1000m above sea level. 

• Wild animals, e.g. boar, eat their bulbs or damage plants when Lilium grow in 

exposed, unprotected areas. 

• Lilium ledebourii is not heat tolerant during the hot summer outside the 

forest. 

Cultivating Lilium ledebourii in gardens should provide more infomation about 

the conditions this lily prefers. 

Concluding remarks 

The reason for writing this article has been to provide readers with information 

about a rare and exceptional lily, Lilium ledebourii, which grows in Ardabil 

province, in north west Iran, and only a few other places. By describing the 

conditions this lily prefers I hope readers will be able to grow it, so they can admire 

its beauty and help to keep it in cultivation around the world. 

★ ★ ★

Lilies in kodachrome 

Lilium parryi 

In this age of digital images Pontus Wallstén recounts the sad demise 

of kodachrome, which many camera users considered to be 

unparalled in producing the perfect colour photograph . 

In June 2009, Kodak announced the end of kodachrome, after over seventy years 

in production. Renowned for its sharp, highly saturated colours, and pastel tones, 

and used by famous photographers from all around the world, notably for National 

Geographic magazine, kodachrome had come to an end. 

The fantastic colour rendition and other complex colour layers of the film gave 

it unique properties, unequalled by any other colour film ever made. However, 

the photographic quality it produced was at a cost. To produce this film was 

not cheap, and in recent years, with the arrival of digital photography, film sales 

had dropped dramatically, and kodachrome only accounted for a few percent 

of Kodak’s sales. Therefore, Kodak decided to cease production of this unique 

film. Film was still available in a few specialist camera shops, and later on, from 

professional photographers as well as through eBay and other websites. Dwayne’s 

Photo in Kansas still processed the film until the end of 2010. This meant that I was 

able to use kodachrome for a year and a half before it was totally gone. 

To find people who would pose for me in colourful clothes and other similar 

113

Lilium duchartrei 

situations was not an easy task, as I quickly realised! However, the summer of 

2010 would, as I was to discover, provide me with the perfect target for my rolls of 

K64 and K25 (the two main variants of kodachrome still available), and the targets 

could not have been more colourful and more graceful! They were of course 

my lilies! Realising that kodachrome rolls were becoming scarce, by May 2010, 

I quickly stocked up on a number of rolls before summer, thus ensuring I would 

have enough to spare for a few pictures, per film, of my lilies. I was considering the 

possibility of an article with some pictures for the next issue of Lilies and Related 

Plants. In 2010 my lilies were growing well and it proved to be a good season for 

some very rare species, which I had not managed to get to flower. These included 

some Japanese beauties, such as Lilium japonicum and Lilium rubellum. Also, I 

finally had flowers, for the first time, on the fabulous Lilium parryi, an American 

species which can be quite hard to grow. 

I was also able to do some night photography, under artificial light, of some 

oriental lilies as well as Lilium nepalense. The results of this endeavour turned out 

to be quite interesting. 

As I write, in November 2011, kodachrome has been gone for almost a year; 

indeed it is almost exactly a year from now since I shot my last kodachrome picture. 

Kodachrome may be gone, apart from a few rolls here and there in museums and 

on shelves in the homes of collectors such as myself, but it leaves behind almost 

a century of unforgettable colour photographs, surely numbered in the millions. 

I am definitely not the first to have photographed lilies in kodachrome, but who 

knows, maybe I was the last?... 

114 

Lilium nepalense 

For more kodachrome pictures and more information about plants, please visit: 

http://pontus.smugmug.com and http://pontuswallstenplants.smugmug.com

About the RHS Lily Group 

www .rhslilygroup .org 

The Lily Group is organised under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural 

Society in order to promote interest in lilies and related plants. 

The principal benefits to members of the Group are: 

• The Seed List. Members of the Group and others, at home and overseas, 

send their surplus seed from lily species and hybrids, other Liliaceae and 

many other garden plants and these are offered to members early each year. 

This distribution has become a major factor in increasing the availability of 

such plants. 

• The Bulb Auction. Members’ surplus bulbs of lilies and other plants are 

auctioned in October each year at different venues around the country. 

• Meetings and outings. Meetings for lectures or discussions are held each 

year at venues around the country. Outings or week-ends are arranged each 

year for members to visit gardens of interest to lily enthusiasts. 

• Newsletters. Three newsletters are distributed to members each year with 

short articles, correspondence and news of current events in the fields of 

interest of the Group. 

• Lilies and Related Plants. Articles on plants, gardens and people 

associated with the Lily Group appear in a booklet which is published every 

two years. 

Details of the current subscription and any of the above are available from 

the Group Secretary. See opposite the content page for a list of officers and 

committee members and key contact details. 

• The Lyttel Lily Cup is awarded annually by the RHS Council, on the 

recommendation of the Lily Committee, to a ‘person who has done good 

work in connection with lilies, nomocharis or fritillaries’. 

• The Lily Bowl is awarded by the Lily Group for the most meritorious single 

exhibit in a July co-operative display of lilies at an RHS show. 

• The Paul Furse Cup, first awarded in 1992, for the best fritillary or other 

plant related to lilies but not of the genus Lilium exhibit as part of a Lily 

Group Co-operative stand at an RHS show. 

• The Voelcker Cup is awarded to a person in recognition of our international 

role in promoting lilies. 

115

Fritillaria 

affinis 91 

albidiflora 4, 6 

anhuiensis 4, 8 

camtschatcensis 

half-title page, 

7, 95 

cirrhosa 4, 9 

crassicaulis 9 

dagana 7 

dajinensis 9 

delavayi 8, 9, 10 

davidii 4 

ferganensis 6 

forbesii 47 

hupehensis 4 

longinectaria 10 

maximowiczii 7 

monantha 4, 9 

pallidiflora 3, 5 

przewalskii 4 

ruthenica Wikstr . 5 

sichuanica 4, 10 

sinica 9 

taipaiensis 8 

thunbergii 3, 7, 8 

tortifolia 4, 5 

unibracteata 4, 10 

ussuriensis 4, 8 

verticillata 5 

walujewii 3, 6 

yuminensis 4, 6 

yuzhongensis 10 

Lilium 

albanicum 68 

alexandrae 58, 59 

amabile 12 

‘Angela’ (North) 80 

auratum 59, 61, 62, 

91 

116 

INDEX TO PLANT NAMES 

(Lilium) 

Botanical-utility system 

of lily sections 83, 84 

brownii 58 

bukosanense 63 

bulbiferum (and vars) 

36, 40, 56, 67, 70, 

72, 73 

canadense 39, 40, 77, 

85, 86 

canadense × grayi 

49, 50 

candidum 70, 71, 97, 

108 

carniolicum 67, 68, 

72, 73 

cernuum 36, 51, 52 

catesbaei 11, 12, 13, 17 

columbianum 4, 89, 91 

concolor 64 

dauricum 

contents page, 

12, 42, 58, 64 

duchartrei 40, 114 

‘Eros’ 65, 77 

fargesii back cover, 

43, 44, 45 

‘Garden Society’ 77 

grayi 31, 88 

hansonii 42 

henryi 87 

henryi var. citrinum 87 

japonicum × auratum 

62 

japonicum 58, 59, 60, 

64, 91, 114 

‘J. L. rosa trumpet × 

Holubrice’, 53 

kelloggii 37, 41 

‘Kushi Maya’ 99 

lancifolium 36 

(Lilium) 

lankongense 51 

ledebourii 108, 109, 

110, 111, 112 

leichtlinii 42, 87, 100 

longiflorum 58, 61,64, 

82 

mackliniae 96 

maculatum (and vars) 

36, 40, 58, 61, 62, 

63 

majoense 99 

‘Marie’ (North) 79 

‘Marilyn Monroe’ 20 

maritimum 31 

martagon 41, 50, 67, 

70, 71, 72, 73, 77 

michauxii 104 

michiganense 41 

monadelphum 35, 77, 

108 

nanum 39 

neilgherrense 57 

nepalense 56, 114 

nobilissimum 58, 59, 61 

‘Orestes’ 78 

‘Pan’ 78 

papilliferum 39 

pardalinum 30, 77 

pardalinum var. 

giganteum 99, 100 

parryi 103, 113, 114 

‘Peggy’ (North) 101 

philadelphicum (and 

var) 11, 12, 13, 14, 

17, 39, 41 

philadelphicum × 

catesbaei 11, 13, 

14, 15, 16, 17 

philippenense 57 

platyphyllum 61

(Lilium) 

polyphyllum 21, 22, 

25, 26 

pomponium 108 

ponticum 108 

primulinum 98 

pumilum 12, 27, 43 

pyrenaicum 27, 69 

pyrophilum 104, 105, 

106, 107 

regale 52 

‘Rosemary’ (North) 80 

rosthornii 40 

rubellum 59, 114 

Ryirube hybrids 98 

sargentiae committee 

members page 

speciosum 58 

superbum 35, 39, 77, 

104 

‘Theseus’ 79 

tsingtauense 39 

vollmeri 41 

wardii 77 

washingtonianum 51 

wigginsii 41 

wilsonii 63 

Nomocharis 

aperta 55,56 

gongshanensis front 

cover, 54, 55, 56 

Prosartes 

hookeri 89, 90, 91, 93 

lanuginosa 93 

maculata 94 

smithii 93 

trachycarpa 93 

Streptopus 

amplexifolius 92, 93, 

94 

lanceolatus 92, 94 

streptopoides 94 

Picture credits 

Front cover, pp. 55, 56 (Markus Hohenegger et al), half-title, pp. 22, 25, 26 

(acknowledgement, Margaret and Henry Taylor, Invergowrie), 29, 52, 65, 67, 68, 

69, 71, 72, 73, 78, 79, 80, 108, 111, back cover (Alan Mitchell), Royal Horticultural 

Society Lily Group page, Contents page, pp. 35, 36, 37, 40, 41 (Darm Crook), 5, 

6, 7, 8, 10 (Martyn Rix), 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (Barry Francis), 18 (Mary Parsons), 

43, 44, 45 (Rimmer de Vries), 47 (Brian Mathew), 49, 50 (Carolyn Richards), 53 

(Nuala Sterling), 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 (Kimito Uchikawa), 75, 112, 113 (Pontus 

Walstén), 79 (‘Theseus’) (Madeleine Tinson), 86 (Jim McKenney), 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 

94 (Paige Woodward), 96, 98, 99, 100, 101 (Harris Howland), 104, 106, 107 (Johnny 

Randall et al), 109, 110, 111 (Growing seed of….) (Mohammad Sadegh). 

117

118 

Guidelines for authors 

Contributions for publication in the Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group 

yearbook, Lilies and Related Plants, are invited on any aspect of lilies and related 

plants – growing, cultivation and breeding, species and cultivars, history, people 

who have made a significant contribution to the subject and nurseries or gardens. 

Any questions concerning articles can be addressed to the Editor, Alan Mitchell 

at: massiec@tiscali.co.uk or at Hallfield, Star of Markinch, Fife, KY7 6LB, UK; 

telephone +44 (0)1592 759255. 

It is a condition of acceptance that contributions are the original work of the 

author(s) and that the Editor should be notified if they have been previously 

published or are under consideration for publication elsewhere. The Editor 

reserves the right to refuse any contribution and to make minor textual changes 

without reference to the author. 

Contributions can be submitted in any format, hand-written, typescript, doublespaced 

on one side of the paper, or, preferably on floppy disc or CD-rom, in formats 

compatible with Windows (Word) or Mac (Quark/InDesign); if in the latter format a 

hard copy should also be supplied. 

High quality illustrations, colour transparencies, prints (in colour or black 

and white), or A5 high-resolution digital pictures (these should be at least 300 

lines, dots or pixels per inch) are welcome. Authors must remember that it is 

sometimes necessary to print an illustration in black and white at the discretion 

of the Editor. Maps, diagrams and line drawings are also welcome and should be 

drawn clearly in black ink within a minimum base line width of 110mm. If artwork 

and illustrations have previously been published elsewhere or are the property 

of another, it is the responsibility of the author to obtain any permission needed 

for reprinting, and to forward a copy of the permission to the Editor. Authors 

should also be aware that, as the lead-time for an issue can be up to two years, any 

illustrative material may be in the care of the Editor for a long period of time. 

The present Editor’s policy is to publish the author’s original words as far as 

possible but should any changes be necessary the author will be consulted. Proofs 

will not normally be sent for approval prior to publication. 

References should be cited in the text referring to a list of references at the end 

of the article. 

Where the Editor considers it necessary he will refer manuscripts to members 

of the Lily Group Committee for their consideration and advice.

Lilies and Related Plants - RHS Lily Group

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