Lilies, anyone?

Lilium 'Super Tsing', a L.martagon and L. tsingtauense cross.
             

Rick, your lilies are weeks ahead of mine. I have Mrs R O Backhouse too but I can't even see the buds! Some interesting crosses too.

One of the earliest blooming asiatics: Lilium amabile
             
       

Last year I showed this form of Lilium duchartrei
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=750.msg10756#msg10756

Now I have this one to present
       

A Lilium davidii seedling and Lilium davidii var. willmottiae
       

The lily "species" lily that masquerades as L. tsingtauense in most catalogs, but it is really a natural cross of L. tsingtauense with L. distichum and/or L. medeoloides.  (It is not known exactly which.)
The many faces of this one, all the same clone:
             

A couple open pollinated seedling siblings from Lilium 'Super Tsing', a cross of L. martagon and L. tsingtauense.
       

Lilium lijiangense.  The lighter color is the true color.
       

Edited to correct identity mistakes.

Rick, I'm envyous. You have so many beautiful lilies!
The few that have survived the hordes of gastropods are still in bud :-\

Well Trond, I do have lots of lilies, but the seedlings aren't always that nice.  I don't think you looked too closely at the the previous long stemmed pic.  Flowers on that Super Tsing open pollinated seedling are super thick petaled, and flowers (and petals) not well formed in my opinion. That's the best photo I could take of it!  In fact, that's why I chose that one to show; not all crosses are successes.

Note that I also edited their  identities in that message to be correct.

Yes, lilies are blooming earlier than normal here.  But while the spring broke about 3 weeks early and spring blooming flowers bloomed then,  the lilies only seem to be a bout 2 weeks earlier than normal. 

I tried to keep the mulch over my lilies on as long as possible, and when I finally decided I had to remove some if it, most of the bulbs had already sprouted under the mulch.  Not a problem for established plants, but I had planted a hundred or so seedlings of various sizes last fall, and a lot of sprouts began wandering under the mulch rather than pushing up through.  So I have a lot of healthy, but prostrate stalks this year.

Aside from Lilium davidii and Lilium lancifolium, Lilium maculatum is the easiest species I have grown. 
This one from seed from plants bought from the Species Lily Preservation Group (SLPG)
Lilium maculatum var. wilsoni
             

Lilium lankongense flowers are smaller this season.  I believe it is water stress in my clay based soil.  We are really making up for our August to April severe drought, as we have had over four inches of rain so far in June.
       

Typical viral symptoms on the lily hybrid Pink Panther.  Of course, this was immediately dug and tossed in the garbage to be taken away. The second photo is what the cultivar should look like.
       

Rick, here (at my summerhouse) it is only Lilum bulbiferum which is in flower. L bulbiferum is a very old garden plant in Norway and my plants selfsow here. Yesterday I had to pick several lily beetle larvae though :-\

A fantastic collection, and obviously well grown.  (Just look at the number of buds on that hansonii!) 

Wow, that Lilium bulbiferum croceum is a particularly nice form with its defined color zoning.  Do you get true seed, or is that the only clone you have?

Your Lilium lijiangense is a heavily speckled form, and shorter pedicels than mine, too. Again, enviable traits.  I have seen forms with almost no speckles: nice, but rather boring, in my opinion.

Lilium grayi, another to-die-for-species, I never tire of seeing.  Someday...

I have L. pyrenaicum coming from seed.  Knowing that it is a delayed hypogeal germinating seed, it still took an extra year just to germinate, and is growing rather slowly in my estimation.  I hope it doesn't take nine years to bloom like it did with Darm!

So many super lilies - a delight to see.

Gene, when you advise adding some lime to more acid soils, at what rate would you apply that, and how often  ? Every year, every other year?

P.S Gene will be introducing the lilies of North West America to IRG readers very soon  8)

Gene, you are showing some really beautiful lilies! I particularly liked grayi and kelloggi!

What an elegant form of L. lankongense, Gene.
 I grow a different type, with a more rigid and narrower growth pattern.

In fact I used to have that graceful form, procured after the type I posted photos of previously.  Unless it is a very close hybrid, it is indeed L. lankongense.  The one I grew like that came from a big commercial seller like Jung or some such.  It bloomed wonderfully, but declined yearly, and lasted only 4 or 5 years. ???  With a raceme(lankongense) instead of an umbel(wardii and duchartrei) arrangement, I don't think it can be anything else.  Leaves are slightly different, with leaf arrangement far more sparse with ductartrei.  The Flora of China has an unusually good collect of photo links of duchartrei: http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027714

Lilium lankongense foliage.  Leaves have 5-7 strong veins.
       

Lilium duchartrei foliage. Leaves have 3-5 veins, less apparent.
               

I really like the growth pattern of your L. medeoloides, Gene.  Both the foliage and the inflorescence.  It seems very refined and even noble, to me. :o

the cardiocrinum ain't too shabby, either!

Forgot to say, Tony, how wonderful those Lilium martagon ssp. cattaniae look.  :o
 I hope mine do just as well!

When I dug these bulbs 2 years ago, I was surprised that they were so large and hefty: more like a hybrid than a species.  But they sure didn't like being moved; the next year, there was no bloom, and growth was small, though very healthy.  Back to maturity, now...
The Flora of China doesn't recognize Lilium majoense, and the closest is certainly Lilium primulinum or Lilium nepalense according to the FoC.  There must be a lot of variation in the species.
       

From my seed planted in 2008, Lilium michiganense is in bloom.
       

Gene, I like your approach to liming - sounds like the practical approach to recipes used  by the best cooks!

Again, Lilium duchartrei.  This one has a noticeable green base and green tips when in bud, similar to Lilium monadelphum and its maroon coloring.  I used to have a L. duchartrei with maroonish-brown base and tips, but it mysteriously disappeared. :'(  That one was most excellent.  Isn't it funny how your most cherished tend to be the most difficult...
         

Lilium leichtlinii.  Bulbs from the Species Lily Preservation Group.  The black stem is very evident, but unfortunately the coloring is not as showy in the inflorescence.  
       

A quite unique inflorescence structure.
             

Lilium maculatum  var. wilsonii.  This species has very lustrous, thick leaves, and so has been used frequently in breeding.
       

I crossed Lilium leichtlinii with Lilium maculatum var. wilsonii.  I had two first blooms last year.  As would be expected, there is not a whole lot of variation in this primary cross.  When lilies bloom with only one flower, as these, the aspect (the angle at which the flower is held) is not always the same as when there are multiple flowers in an inflorescence.   
  #1     #2

I don't think I have had any lily that is so vigorous.  This year, #1 shown above has 15 flowers (including 4 secondaries)!  #2 has 9!
            #1

I did consider L. poilanei, but at the time I thought it was native only to the southeast Asian peninsula.  No way would it be winter hardy here in zone 4!  In fact years ago, I passed on an offer of seed of the species because of that.  Now I see it is native in Yunnan also.  And foliage seems most similar to L. poilanei.  Definitely three veined, thick and waxy.  It was more thick and waxy when I grew it in full sun, but it seems more happy here in open shade.  So maybe...

Not too common for L. michiganense to have a tiered inflorescence.  It must be doing very well.  I meant to ask you, what is that twining thing on it?

Does L michiganense need very moist soil?

Not many species lilies here at my summerhouse but a few others like these 'Capuchino' and 'Graffity'. ...and one which isn't a lily, Kniphofia uvaria!

Hoy wrote:

Does L michiganense need very moist soil?

In my experience, if Lilium michiganense doesn't get constantly moist soil, it will still flower, but the plant won't be that long lived (and of course, flowers will be smaller).  A few times now I have grown seedlings in places that get dry and hot in summer; They take a longer time to get to flowering, and then flower okay for a year or perhaps two and then slowly decline.  The nice thing about stoloniferous lilies is that easily dive down in the soil to find their proper growing depth for the area.

Below is an example of how stoloniferous bulbs can seek their proper depth in the soil. The original little seedling bulb from last season is at the top. This season it sent out two stolons terminating in bulbs. "Up" is up in the pic, "down" is down in the pic. The structure looks like the photo was taken at an angle because the new bulbs are so much larger, but no. The plant lays flat on the soil surface with the camera directly above.

Lilium papilliferum is not too well formed this season, due to the excess heat, I think.
             

Lilium auratum seems to be fairly happy with the root competition of other herbaceous plants.  Here it grows amidst Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold', Helleborus Royal Heritage and Brunnera 'Jack Frost'.
       

Really enjoying all of these fine lilies here, beautiful things they are!  Wish lily beetle wasn't such a problem here.

I agree Aaron the red-flowered twining plant is a Cynanchum, here's a couple links. Most species in this widespread genus are weedy, some invasives, but some good ones too.
http://blog.nexcerpt.com/2010/05/21/swallowwort/
http://blog.nexcerpt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN7772_50.jpg

One of my favorites is Cynanchum ascyrifolium (Vincetoxicum ascyrifolium), "Cruel Plant", not sure why that common name, one of my top favorite perennials, a subject worthy of a separate topic. :)

Thanks Aaron.  We don't always say so, but your expertise is very graciously appreciated (and essential!).

Mark, you mentioned lily beetles.  Lily leaf beetles have been found in Bellevue, WA -- the first infestation that I've heard of.  My son gathered up some from his trumpet lilies for my entomologist friend.  In just 2 days they've chomped through most of the foliage he put in the jar!  Horrors!

I killed more than 30 lily beetles during the last week! And a lot of larvae too >:(

Another form of Lilium papilliferum opened today.

Lilium philadelphicum in the wild, western Minnesota.
More photos here: http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=455.msg18807#msg18807

And isn't this interesting...

Lilium lancifolium 'Flore Pleno'

Striking colour Rick, on that papilliferum!
Tony, L amoenum is lovely!

Rick, although the double lily is interesting I agree with Lori: I would choose any other if I had to make a choice  ;)