Lilium (members of which are true lilies) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere, though their range extends into the northern subtropics.
Many other plants have "lily" in their common name but are not related to true lilies. Asiatic Lilies are a very popular garden and florist flower and they offer a brilliantly colourful range of blooms to choose from. The bulbs of Asiatic lilies are tough and resilient, providing a bounty of colourful blooms for vases, very easily grown and wonderfully tolerant of searing Australia's hot Summers.
Asiatic Lilies come in a wide range of brilliant colours from bright red to soft and pretty pink which means they can be used to create pockets of colour or gentle waves of soft and pretty cottage colours. Asiatic Lilies have more advantages in that they are great in pots and the bulbs can be planted anytime between May and October (in the Southern Hemisphere).
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Lilium (members of which are true lilies) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere, though their range extends into the northern subtropics.
Many other plants have "lily" in their common name but are not related to true lilies. The Tiger Lily, bears large, fiery orange flowers covered by spots. The name tiger probably refers to the spots on the petals. The flowers of this perennial can grow up to three inches in width. The Tiger Lily is also known as the Ditch Lily as it is found in and around ditches in large parts of America. This lily has a strong, sweet and distinctive smell. Besides producing a stunning spectacle, most parts of this plant are edible.
There are two varieties of the Tiger Lily: The Oriental Variety, which propagates through bulbs that form at leaf axils; and the Common Wildflower Variety, which propagates by tuberous roots. Due to its wild growing nature, the Tiger Lily is incredibly easy to grow. It thrives in moist to wet soils and hence grow well near ditches. Early to mid-autumn is the best time to plant out the bulbs in cool temperate areas, in warmer areas they can be planted out as late as late autumn.
The Tiger Lily is sterile and does not produce seeds. It can, however, be propagated through the bulbils (small bulbs) that grow in the axils of the leaves. Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbils and grown in moist peat in a cool dark place until they produce bulbets. They can be then grown in a nursery and later planted outside.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Eucomis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Most species of this genus are commonly referred to as pineapple flowers or pineapple lilies. They are bulbous perennials with basal rosettes of leaves with stout stems covered in star-shaped flowers, similar to those of the pineapple - hence the common names.
The name Eucomis is of Greek origin, eu- meaning "pleasing" and kome "hair of the head", thus referring to the tuft of leaf-like bracts that crown the inflorescence of the species in this genus. There are ten species native to South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Eucomis can be found in grassland, forest, swamps and on river banks, but are absent from the drier regions.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
