Be mindful of lily bulblets.

Oriental bulblets in spring.

As you well know, not all green leaves emerging are weeds.

What are those odd looking single leaves at the base of an established lily?  Lily bulbs have a built in process for creating offspring; tiny nodules may form at the base of the bulb (basal plate bulblets), along portions of the underground stem (stem bulblets), or even with a few Asiatic lilies, at the base of a leaf where it attaches to the above ground stem (aerial bulblets).

The leaves shown in the right photo are of Oriental bulblets.  They typically will be wide and slightly rounded.  The bulblets under ground are not much larger than the eraser on a pencil.




Basal Plate Bulblets

'Candlestick' Basal Plate Bulblets.

This is the most common way for a lily bulb to divide, by simply forming new growth at the bottom of the bulb.

See the three large bulblets at the base of this bulb of 'Candlestick'?  They will put up a small stem, with one flower each.

Asiatic lilies and Lilium longiflorum hybrids are quicker to divide, sometimes three or more new bulbs can form each summer, which may bloom for you the following year. 

'Belonica' double-flowered Oriental.

Oriental Lilies

Oriental lilies can be erratic for propagating, only producing side bulblets on some cultivars if the growing season is good, and enjoying even amounts of moisture, fertilizer and fluffy soil to grow an expansive root system.  The usual method of quickly increasing bulbs is to "scale" the lily in fall, see "Scale Production" on our website.

Most Oriental bulblets grow slower than Asiatic hybrids, usually needing three years of additional care before they mature enough for us to offer on www.bdlilies.com.

'Donato' Orienpet lily.

 

 

OT Lilies

 

OT (Orienpets or Oriental-Trumpet Hybrids) have similar growth patterns as do regular (purebred) Oriental lilies.  They make fewer basal plate and underground stem bulblets (see below), and therefore take longer to propagate commercially.  Most years, bulbs will simply get larger and larger, until they naturally divide into two or three flowering size bulbs.

 

Purebred Trumpet lilies are similar, and after a few years of growing undisturbed, can be the size of a small cantaloupe. 

 
Stem Bulblets - on all types of lily bulbs

Asiatic bulblets along the underground stem.

Attached to the underground stem, and tucked within the new feeder roots produced every year, offshoots (bulblets) are an exact genetic duplicate of the original flowering bulb.  

These are easily removed in fall after the foliage has matured from green to brown and winter is approaching.  Simply pull the old crispy-brown stem out of the ground and gently dig down above the mother bulb to harvest the bulblets.

Choose a protected nursery bed with only 2 or 3 inches of soil covering the tops for the first year.  After the garden has frozen for winter, add a bit of mulch so you do not forget where they are planted. While we are harvesting bulbs in fall, bulblets are saved either for propagation or to sell as a mixed bag of bulblets at flower shows in spring. 

Arial bulblets are the little black colored offshoots that grow at the base of each leaf on an old-fashioned, orange colored tiger lily (Asiatic).  Some modern hybrids that have it in their breeding background will also exhibit this trait.  We do not grow "Tiger" hybrids here, partially because any bulblets that drops off the stem, or are missed during harvest will grow, causing all sorts of havoc.  There would be out of place, rogue lilies in the field two years later as they begin to grow within the carefully planted row.  However, the primary reason for not growing them is because they can be a "Typhoid Mary" in the garden.  See our Knowledge Base, Lilium lancifolium for more information.)

See  Dig 'n Divide - Lilies for Fee - Easy How-to  on our website, www.bdlilies.com

A Lily Oddity in the Garden

Flatten stem with odd looking leaves.

Have you ever seen a flattened stem lily stem with short stunted leaves and a multitude of flower buds in your garden?

If so, there's nothing to worry about,  no mysterious lily disease has invaded your garden and the bulb is quite fine.

Only about 1 in 10,000 lily bulbs create a fasciated stem, which is most likely due to environmental fluctuations of weather. The next growing season usually produces a normal stem, or perhaps even two, if the bulb has divided underground.





 

Golden Splendor with fasciated stem.

Wahoo!  
Look at all the flowers!

The bulb of 'Golden Splendor Strain' that produced the cluster of extra flowers on this stem had rather evenly spaced buds and almost normal sized blooms.

Usually, flowers that open on a fasciated stem can be overall much smaller, and be packed tightly together so that not all the buds open completely.  

"Garden of Weeden"

Mrs. Ruth Sanclimenti's whimsical, "Garden of Weeden" drew attention from the neighbors when her Oriental lily, 'Siberia' bloomed out several years back.  It is interesting in that the bulb was actually was planted in just the right spot to become the centerpiece.  The lily bloomed normally the second year.

Fascinated stems are an oddity to be sure, but the lilies are indeed healthy.  Because they still need all of their leaves to rebuild the bulb after flowering, and even though the plant may look strange, resist the urge to cut the stem down prematurely.  You can however, remove the flowers as they fade.

Do you have a photo of an interesting lily?  Upload it to our Facebook page for the world to see.

What's happening underground this winter?

Lily bulb regenerating in October.

Lily bulbs are in a constant state of growth; even during the winter months new basal plate roots are expanding, bulblets (offshoots) are growing larger, but most important, the center of your lily bulb is continuing to regenerate for its next flowering period.  

Sometimes it is easy to see the transformation because more of the bulb is spent to grow a stem with some cultivars.  The bulb shown is a perfect example - notice the two different colors of scales?  The outside purple-brown scales were part of the "original" bulb; you can see that during flowering, most of the nice fat bulb planted the previous fall or in early spring had shrunk to only a few outside scales, consuming the center in order to grow a stem.  The backside of this bulb (not shown) was where the stem had emerged for flowering in July.  The new bulb began forming when the flowers were finished, emerging from the basal plate, (bottom) along with a couple of new bulblets that will be exact duplicates of the original.  


Of the three prime necessities for a sustainable lily garden—well drained soil, sunlight and fertilizer—some folks begin to become a little forgetful when it comes time to help the lilies prepare for next year's flowers. 

If your soil was prepared well before planting to be soft and fluffy—even if an application of fertilizer is missed a couple of times—lilies will extract what food they can from their surrounding soil to flower the next year.  If no fertilizer or annual top dressing of compost is provided, lily bulbs will tend to become smaller each year and finally disappear completely. 

Spreading POOpeas around the stems.

Feed your lilies for bigger and better flowers each year.

We recommend two feedings a year—once when the sprouts are just emerging in spring and the stem roots are beginning to grow—then again when the flowers are beginning to open and the stored food within the lily bulb is depleted.  You can either use a commercial formula or mix your own elements for an organic approach.  Remember that lilies like balanced feeding, too much nitrogen will grow lovely green leaves, but at the expense of good flowers.  A "blooming" formula (e.g. 0-20-0) encourages flowers, but nitrogen and potash are still needed to grow new bulb scales. 

Lilies are heavy feeders, but they only need fertilizer spread during the times of rapid growth or roots can be damaged.  Slow release fertilizer (worked into the top 2 inches of soil) generally only works when soil temperatures reach a certain degree, and usually after the stems are already tall, missing the first milestone.  Time release is better in containers than open garden, because potting soil stays warmer during active growth, but because the volume of soil used is constricted and pots are watered more frequently, it is harder to judge the amount of fertilizer needed.

What if you've forgotten?

• If you've missed spreading fertilizer during flowering in an established lily garden, do put an inch or two of compost or well-aged manure where the stems were produced this summer, even if your soil is completely frozen when you remember. 
• For newly planted September to December bulbs, mixing fertilizer at the bottom of the planting hole is generally wasted over winter.  It is the roots produced in spring between the top of the lily bulb and the soil surface (stem roots) that are expecting the food at the proper times, not below the bulb.  Organic material spread on the soil surface takes a year or more to completely break down, and so is a better choice during planting time in October and November.
• Since everything the lily needs to bloom is already present in the bulb and is depleted during the process of making a stem and flowers, fertilizer you apply during the spring and summer is for the next season's bloom.  If your soil is on the poor side naturally, not fertilizing will compromise next season's flowers—so it is important to always be thinking ahead.  Missing a few meals will not hurt, but for long term health, a regular fertilization program of twice a year is preferred.

Photo Instruction for Dividing a Lily bulb.

Lily bulb that produced two flowering stems over summer.

See how the original easily separates into two bulbs?

One of the questions that comes up when folks want to divide overgrown clumps of lily bulbs is where do I "cut" them? 

No cutting is necessary, because lilies actually are quite easy to divide. 

Look for a natural division where two bulbs are attached to each other.






 When a lily bulb is ready to divide, a simple pulling apart of the bulb is all it takes.  If you find resistance, don't try to force them, simply replant and let them wait for another season and two stems will emerge from each side.

After dividing, both bulbs will be flattened on one side, but each half is a self contained, flowering size bulb.  The one on the left has the bottom of the stem attached, the other stem fell out during harvest.

Let the bulbs air dry for an hour before planting back.

Two bulbs are now ready to plant, each with their own set of roots.

The hens in the background are part of our free-range chicken flock and were very interested in what I was doing.  Of course, that just simply means they were trying to determine whether or not any tasty corn (scratch) was involved.  Nope, not this time, and so they wandered off to check out the goose pen.

You do not have to be exact, this is just a guideline.

Plant your lilies back at approximately the same depth they were growing.  One and one half times the height of the bulb (up and down, not around) is the proper depth of the hole. 

This bulb is about 2 inches tall, so the hole will be about 6 inches deep, with about 4 inches of soil covering the lily bulb.

See the flattened side on each bulb?

If lily bulbs are ready to naturally divide on their own, we split them while they are being dug and cleaned, which is only one of the ways we propagate our lilies. 

Occasionally, we get a phone call that someone received "only half of a bulb", because one side was flattened.  Those may look a bit odd, but the lily is certainly a mature bulb, because it had already flowered that season.





Don't worry if you have one of these in your order, everything the lily needs for blooming next summer is already neatly packed inside.

How and When to Dig Lily Bulbs

Just a few yellow green leaves are left here.

Do you need to move lily bulbs out of the way of new construction, or have they outgrown their spot?  The best time to transplant lilies is when the leaves have turned from green to brown because at that time it is certain the bulbs have matured enough to safely dig. 

See how the leaves have mostly all turned brown in the photograph?  These bulbs have fully regenerated and are ready to go through their winter dormant period.  If dug too early in late summer, the bulb's are soft and can be easily damaged, plus it may be too small to flower next summer if they have not been enough given time to build themselves back up.

You can carefully dig when the leaves have all turned from green to yellow, but by waiting just a week or two more, when all the energy is safely stored, it will make a difference in the number of flowers produced next summer.

Don't begin digging too close to the stem or you risk cutting the lily bulb.

Carefully, position your shovel or garden fork about 4 inches away from the stem and dig down 7 to 8 inches to the side.  If you planted properly, the lily bulbs should be at least that deep, but if a clump of stems is older and overgrown, the bulbs may be closer to the surface, especially if yearly weeding has pulled away some of the soil.

Using the stem as a "handle", gently lift the bulb and root ball.  Pull excess soil from around the bulb with your fingers, or you can simply wash the bulb in a bucket of water, which is messier—but also effective.

The circle is where the stem roots are located.  The red line shows how deep the bulb was planted.  Not all bulbs will produce bulblets underground, but this bulb was only planted in the past spring, so it was still "settling in".

Use an old pair of hand pruners or a serrated kitchen knife if you have rocky/sandy soil.

Clip off the stem if it does not "fall off" easily on its own.  Green stems are still firmly attached inside the lily bulb and by yanking the stem out of the bulb, you risk damaging the center of the lily—opening up the bulb to decay and loss over winter.  Lily stems are attached by a "hook" and if the stem is too green, that hook will tear out the inside of the bulb.  Harvest any bulblets that were produced along the stem—inside the stem roots— or at the base (basal plate or bottom) of the lily and plant those separately. 

Bulb harvested and ready to plant back into the garden.

Plant back ASAP because lily bulbs do not have a hard exterior such as Daffodils or Tulips and they will dehydrate quickly if left unprotected by soil or other means.  In fall, we layer the bulbs in moist wood shavings until it is time to package and ship them to you, but without proper equipment for storage, try not to let them stay out of the ground more than a day or so.  In general, it is always best to dig the receiving hole before starting any transplanting project, even a couple of days earlier will be easier on you back and better for your bulbs, perennials, shrubs or trees. 

Related Posts:  Emergency Transplanting-Summer, Low Cost Ways to Increase your Lily Garden, Lily Companion Plants, Stem Roots, Mulching Lily Bulbs for Winter,
  

 

How to Increase "Red Wigglers" in your Garden

Worms under edge of manure pile.

Underground activity, although not visible, can be what makes or breaks your garden.  All species of garden worms, especially night crawlers, are quite useful for more than fishing.  These powerhouses create tunnels from the lower depths of your garden to the surface, aerating and leaving behind worm castings (poop), which allows better root penetration for your bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees and more nutrients available to your plants. The loosened soil drains better and is easier on your back when planting new garden treasures.

Ever see night crawlers on the soil surface after a heavy rain?

Worms require moisture to stay hydrated.  For them to break down organic matter from the top few inches of your garden and make it accessible to plant roots, that means fresh water loaded with oxygen, not over-saturated and stagnant mud puddles.  During heavy rainfall, when the ground water is closer to the surface, worms rise.  The old fisherman's trick of heavy watering the night before a fishing trip mimics nature, in order to bring them closer to ground level for collection.  The easiest-to-find worms for fishing always seem to be a few inches below a moist (fresh) manure pile—a little messy and aromatic, but a good place to start looking for home-grown bait.

How to increase your worm population.

• Avoid the over-use of chemicals in your garden. When garden soil becomes sterile from using too much (or too many years) of easy to spread fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides or pesticides—and as more product is needed to reach the same level of effectiveness—worms die and soil loses its aerobatic properties.  Reasonable use of granular or liquid fertilizer would be only once or twice a year at most and generally provided only as a supplement for plants with specific requirements.  Use of a copper-based fungicide for Botrytis in spring or a sulfur spray in winter on fruit trees are accepted as organic in many states, of which are old-fashioned controls that are both inexpensive and effective.  Weed problem?  Consider only applying a "spot spray" of herbicide on tough hard-to-kill plants should the infestation be too large and hand-digging of deep roots is not practical.  Creepy-crawly bugs and beetles—most are beneficial and feed the birds—but some destructive types will need control for a good vegetable crop or beautiful flowers.  We do not advocate the use of pesticides in the garden if there is an organic solution of hand picking, trapping or even a less toxic spray available.  Yes, this can be more labor-intense or take longer to see results, but it is much safer for humans, animals, birds and our watershed reserves.

• Spread mulch/compost liberally around your large perennial plants, shrubs and trees, but go easy where bulbs are planted—don't end up burying them too deep by using a thick layer of permanent mulch.  (This is different than "winter mulch" that is removed in spring.)  Avoid using "shredded tire mulch" because it doesn't add any nutrients, or landscape fabric topped by decorative rock, which tends to create compacted soil, because there are no organics for worms to eat.  Grass clippings from the lawn that has not had weedkillers applied, fallen leaves (naturally small or shredded large ones), compost, and manure are all heaven to earthworms and the softened soil makes pulling weeds easy.  Worms break down large particles of compost and leave behind castings to further feed your plants.  If you do not have access to ready made compost, aged manure or fall leaves, consider growing a "green manure", cover crop of fast-growing grains, such as oats, buckwheat, winter wheat, etc., that can be dug in while soft and tender to improve your soil. (See our Blog posting;  Healthy Soil with Oats, not Weeds.)

• Keep your garden watered.  Clay-based areas allowed to go bone-dry over summer will have rock-hard soil because beneficial worms are not present in great enough numbers to keep it soft, friable and nutrient rich.  In areas of heavy rainfall throughout winter and spring however, go easy on mulch to allow your soil to dry between storms—so that bulbs, perennials and other low growing or dormant plants do not rot underground or at the crown (soil surface).

 
Start Now.

Oat cover crop in veggie garden about 8" tall and
ready to till into the soil.

.

Even if your garden has been mistreated in the past by a previous occupant or you are just beginning to prefer organic methods of gardening, the land can heal itself over time.  Be patient and do not give up.  Educate your neighbors who might be tempted to spread "death and destruction" along your boundary fence.  Explain the beauty of a simple compost pile for returning unwanted biomass—weeds, trimmings, grass clippings, etc.— back to the garden, encourage natural insect control by attracting birds, and allow worms to do their assigned task in life. 

Lily Bulb Hardiness & Warm Winter Tolerance

Colder climate leaves turning colors.

(The chart published by the USDA and complete interactive searching – link below – can be found on the website for the US National Arboretum, which is a good place to start when trying to determine in what type of climate you live.) 

"When researching your location, bear in mind that all map lines are not absolute and each garden has its own unique micro-climate."

Neighborhoods with many trees blocking wind, hills that "drain" away moisture faster, concrete bulkheads, sidewalks and driveways that tend to collect heat, as well as southern exposures will allow you to grow plants that might not be recommended for your area.  

 
General Guidelines - Lily Bulb Hardiness 

& Warm Winter Tolerance in Southern States

Tiger Babies Asiatic

 






Asiatics – Zones 1-9.  (Sweet Surrender, Tiger Babies, Lionheart, “Pearl Series”, etc.) No winter mulch is needed and they prefer colder winters to reset bloom.

Longwood Scented Asiatic

Scented Asiatics – Zones 3-10.  (LA Hybrids such as Red Alert, Nashville, Eyeliner, Party Diamond etc.) grow well in all areas, do not require as much cold to reset the bloom, and would not need an “artificial winter” in the fridge in southern areas.  They start to grow immediately in spring after thaw, which is very helpful during short growing seasons, but a hard frost in late spring could damage sprouts.

Muscadette Oriental

Purebred Orientals – Zones 6-9, colder with winter mulch.  (Casablanca, Star Gazer, Acapulco, Muscadette, Crystal Blanca etc.), but if heavily mulched for winter or with a good snowfall, down to Zone 3 or 4 easily. Oriental lilies dislike hot, dry areas, growing the bulbs in afternoon sun is recommended because the flowers will last longer.

Golden Splendor Trumpet

 





Purebred Trumpets – Zones 7-10, colder with winter mulch.  (Copper King Strain, Pink Perfection Strain, Golden Splendor Strain, “Angel Series”, etc.), heavily mulched, down to Zone 3 or 4, but can be subject to late freeze damage in May, cover emerging stems if temperatures below 30 degrees F. are expected.

 

Conca d'Or (OT)

Oriental-Trumpet Hybrids – Zones 6-9, colder with winter mulch. (OT hybrids like Conca ‘dOr, Cocossa, Tea for Two, Eudoxia, Scheherazade, Sweetheart, etc.), same as Purebred Orientals, down to Zone 3 or 4 if well mulched for winter, and seem to be more resistant to late frost damage, plus because of the “trumpet” genes, they do not require as much winter chill as Oriental lilies, thus are very suitable for southern areas and will take higher heat in summer. 

Triumphator (LO)

 Longiflorum-Oriental Hybrids – Zones 7-10, colder with winter mulch. (LO  hybrids like Gizmo, Triumphator, etc.), about the same as Purebred Trumpets and are suitable for southern areas that have higher heat in summer.  For colder areas and heavily mulched over winder, down to Zone 3 or 4, but could be subject to late freeze damage in May, cover emerging stems if temperatures below 30 degrees F. are expected.

 

Find your USDA Hardiness Zone  

The following are examples of USDA Zones in the USA and Canada, if your location is not listed, look at the average low winter temperature listed (Fahrenheit, not Celsius).  The general guidelines are based on average low temperatures. To open a new browser window access the interactive map click USDA Zone Chart

Zone 1--- ( Below -50 F) --- Fairbanks, Alaska; Resolute, NW Territories (Canada)
Zone 2a --- (-50 to -45 F) --- Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Flin Flon, Manitoba (Canada)
Zone 2b --- (-45 to -40 F) --- Unalakleet, Alaska; Pinecreek, Minnesota
Zone 3a --- (-40 to -35 F) --- International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska
Zone 3b --- (-35 to -30 F) --- Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana
Zone 4a --- (-30 to -25 F) --- Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana
Zone 4b --- (-25 to -20 F) --- Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska
Zone 5a --- (-20 to -15 F) --- Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois
Zone 5b --- (-15 to -10 F) --- Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania
Zone 6a --- (-10 to -5 F) --- St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Zone 6b --- (-5 to 0 F) --- McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri
Zone 7a --- (0 to 5 F) --- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia
Zone 7b --- (5 to 10 F) --- Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia
Zone 8a --- (10 to 15 F) --- Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas
Zone 8b --- (15 to 20 F) --- Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida
Zone 9a --- (20 to 25 F) --- Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida
Zone 9b --- (25 to 30 F) --- Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida
Zone 10a --- (30 to 35 F) --- Naples, Florida; Victorville, California
Zone 10b --- (35 to 40 F) --- Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida
Zone 11 --- (above 40 F) --- Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico

When Mother Nature is generous with rainfall

It is usually easier to add moisture,  than take it away.  

We have received reports of high rainfall in areas of the country that has caused caused concern for gardeners.  There have been yellow leaves on lower portion of lily stems that fall off, smaller flowers this year and even "no-shows" in some cases.  If even your established lilies are showing any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to check the moisture content of your garden now.  Additions of moisture-retentive peat, manure or compost around the bulb when planting tends to keep the soil wetter than lilies are able to use.  If you are seeing yellow leaves, cut back on summertime watering.  

If Mother Nature has dropped abundant water too often on your garden, remove any mulch surrounding the lilies to allow the soil to dry faster as a quick fix.   Only water when your soil is dry one inch or two below the surface, and then leave the water on long enough, so the ground is moist 6 to 8 inches deep.  Your shrubs and trees will also appreciate the deep watering, which will help them to tolerate periods of drought.

Correct questionable drainage by making a raised bed.
Clay soil with sluggish percolation is a reality for many gardeners on flat terrain. Provided your garden is not covered by stagnant water for extended periods of time, abundant rainfall with good drainage allows oxygen-filled water to wash over the roots. Lilies can tolerate a lot of moisture for a short time. By slightly raising the planting area so that the bulbs themselves are above ground level, their roots may still penetrate into waterlogged soil and the survival of your choice cultivars will be ensured. The basal plates (bottom) of larger bulbs may be 8 to 10 inches below the surface; therefore your raised area should be about 12 inches high for best results.  

Choose a sunny site for your new lily bed this summer. It is not necessary to lift turf, but persistent roots of bindweed, thistle or other difficult to eradicate weeds require removal. Outline the area with landscape timbers or used railroad ties, pounding 12 to 18 inch long sections of pipe or "rebar" into the ground to steady the wood, and back fill with fresh topsoil, amended as mentioned earlier. To keep moles, voles, gophers and other tunneling varmints out of the bed, lay down 1/4" galvanized wire cloth from the hardware store before setting your landscape timbers on top, bringing the wire up around the outside of the wood. Using "horseshoe nails" or heavy wire staples used on fences, attach the woven wire to the outside of the timbers, using soil or creeping plants to soften the edges and hide the barrier.

Although coarse sand can be added for additional drainage, Perlite is a better choice for a lighter mixture. If moles, voles or gophers are abundant in your area, place a barrier of 1/2 inch galvanized hardware cloth on top of the ground, installing your timbers on each end. If your new bed is wider than the barrier screen, overlap the wire by one or two inches. On large raised beds, mound soil higher in the center, sloping down to one inch below the height of the timbers on the edge. If desired, plant short-growing Hemerocallis with daffodil bulbs in the outer 12 inches for a unified border. These smaller daylilies will hide the decaying foliage of the spring bulbs, plus soften the appearance of the timbers with color and green foliage throughout the summer and fall. For newly constructed beds in late summer, wait at least one year before planting new lily bulbs in fall if you are in a more severe climate, to allow the soil to settle. In an emergency, you can use a thick layer of mulch (12 inches of straw, etc.) over the beds for winter in colder climates - removing it during spring thaw -  to help insulate the lilies before the soil has compacted enough.  In milder climates, Zone 7 and higher, no mulch over winter is necessary.

What exactly is an "Orienpet" Hybrid?

OT, Orienpet and Oriental-Trumpet Hybrids (all the same, just different name descriptions) are lilies that have some Lilium henryi and/or purebred Trumpet lily, such as 'Pink Perfection Strain', 'Golden Splendor Strain', and 'African Queen Strain' in the breeding line.  (Clone vs. Strain: Named Clones like 'Casablanca' are propagated from tissue culture, dividing or scaling and so all are precisely identical, but Strains are group of seedlings from the same cross that show only similar attributes, such as color, shape or blooming time - such as all children of a marriage having a resemblance to one another.)

'Sweetheart' - an early hybrid that tends to have less red centers during warm weather.

Although most will resemble a purebred Oriental lily in appearance and July to early August blooming times, Orienpet lilies are more heat resistant and tolerate alkaline soils better.  Because of the inclusion of yellow-colored Trumpets in breeding, they have made the breakthrough into yellow and red-orange colors.  All can take full sun in most areas and are not affected by the occasional 105 degree heat blast, but these flowers last longer on the stem if summer temperatures tend to hover around 100 degrees, and especially longer if given afternoon shade.  

Telling these newer hybrids apart from regular Oriental lilies can be difficult. 

'Ormea' - smaller flowers - and nice for meditative gardens because of the subtle color.

To the casual eye, especially mixed within other Oriental lilies, the entire bed may appear to be similar in colors, shapes and growth habit.  One notable difference is the tendency to have sturdier stems and more substance - or thickness - to the petals.  These heavier stems of Orienpets can be the size of a 25 cent coin and because of that, it means they rarely need staking, plus most average only 4 feet tall. Thicker petals also mean longer-lasting flowers, a real bonus for warmer climates.  In general, if the color is yellow or has yellow and red tones together, the bulb is an Orienpet.  White fragrant lilies with a gold or yellow band down the center is an Oriental or Lilium auratum hybrid.


Many of the newer hybrids have very large flowers, but a few like 'Ormea' have smaller, upfacing blooms, which make them easier to arrange in smaller floral arrangements. Orienpets with recurved flowers like 'Scheherazade', 'LeVern Friemann' and other 'Black Beauty' Hybrids are more difficult to use in vases unless only using a single bloom in a bud vase or if the display is massive enough to utilize entire stems.  Their grace and tendency for the 'Black Beauty' Hybrids to produce taller stems makes for a stunning accent or back of the border placement. 

The most striking difference is the fragrance.  

Purebred Oriental Hybrids tend to have a sweet, almost carnation-spice scent.  Although there can be differences, most of the newer Orienpet Hybrids are generally more similar to the familiar "Easter Lily" or Trumpet lily fragrance.  Hybrids of 'Black Beauty' however, tend to a much light scent, probably because of the suspected Lilium speciosum in it's breeding background.  People who tend to be sensitive to fragrances usually prefer the spicier Orientals or hybrids of 'Black Beauty', rather than the "heavier" scent of the large-flowered Orienpets.  

The famous 'Black Beauty', very light fragrance.

Planting is the same as any other lily; locate in an area of well-drained soil, dig deep enough so that these cultivars have 5 to 6 inches of soil over the top of the bulbs.  Set individual bulbs at least 6 to 8 inches apart to allow room for growth, because when settled into their location, Orienpet (or OT Hybrids) can be softball sized and will need room to expand.