July's Lilies

 

 

These two lilies are always pretty during July. The orange one is the old standard Tiger Lily at old homesites around the south. They propagate by making bulb offsets and also by forming little black bulblets in the axils of the leaves. When these bulblets are mature they release from the mother plant and roll to the ground where they take root, and in 2 to 3 years they will be blooming size.
The other lily is one called Star Gazer and it has a wonderful fragrance. I have it growing right by the steps so I can smell it as I pass up and down.
I always remove the pollen sacks of lilies if I plan to use them for cut flowers. The pollen can make a very bad stain on clothes or table linens. I sometimes remove them from the flowers I leave in the yard because I do not want them to put energy into seed making. I had rather they spend that energy in increasing the size of the bulb. The pollen sacks should be removed as soon as the flowers open and before the pollen is rerleased. If pollen has already started to release, use care that you do not touch the pollen to the stigma or you will polleninate the flower yourself!

Orange Tiger Lilies

 

 

My orange tiger lilies have been blooming for several weeks but are about to finish. These old favorites are common around old homesteads and are common pass along plants. I got my start from my mother who got hers from her mother. They are sturdy plants reaching 3-4 feet tall, and are one of the few plants that produce bublets (properly called bulbils) in the axils of the leaves. They are easily propagated from these and will bloom from such a start in 2-3 years. They can also be propagated like most lilies from division of the bulb scales. The specific epithet is Lilium lancifolium and it originally came from eastern Asia. It is regarded as a delicacy there and all parts of the plant are edible--except the pollen which is said to be toxic. All parts of the plant are toxic to cats, causing kidney failure. Go figure.