Find Your Local Florist:Everything you want to know about flowers!
Ask The Plant Expert: Can you ID this lily? It may be old plant – passed down thru several human generations. Plant is blooming now – three beautiful flowers in a pot here in Kentucky! Has abundant narrow leaves 1/4 inch wide. -DH
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: I believe this may be a type of pink Crinum lily.
It’s easy to see why the lily is a popular favorite during spring, considering it’s used as a symbol of Easter.
The genus Lilium includes over 100 different species. Lilies are a favorite among gardeners and florists for their large, showy blooms. Lilies thrive in many types of landscapes and even do well in potted containers.
Where Did The Name Come From?
The Latin name for Lily is the botanic name Lilium, this is derived from the Greek word leírion, (λείριον). This word has an unusual history, it comes from a mix of Greek and Egyption words. Linguists, or language specialists, believe that both the Egyptian and the Greek word are possible loans from an extinct, substratum language of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Speaking of names, ‘lily’ tends to get thrown around a lot in the flower world. Calla lilies, water lilies, lily of the valley — none of these are actually in the lily family.
Lilies in the Kitchen?
Lilies are also very important to cultural and even culinary traditions to much of the world. That’s right! In many areas, especially in Asia, lily bulbs are eaten as root vegetables, much like potatoes! (Although bulbs of some species may be very bitter.) Below is a picture of a bag of lily bulb noodles.
The Madonna Lily, Lilium candidum, is perhaps the best known lily species there is. The Madonna Lily symbolizes purity for Roman Catholics. In medieval times, depictions of the Virgin Mary often show her holding these flowers. Going back even further, Madonna lilies are depicted on wall paintings at the Minoan palace of Knossos.
There are translations of the Bible that identify the Hebrew word Shoshannah as ‘lily’ in Song of Soloman (Song of Songs) “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” Song of Soloman 2:2 (KJV), not as a rose as is customary to translate.
In King Solomon’s Temple there were also designs of Madonna lilies on the columns. [Read more…]
Ask the Expert: do u lift the bulbs for r-planting
i have varius lilies in my garded do u r-plant the bulbs when the flowering has gone Joan
Flower Shop Network‘s Plant Expert Reply:
In my zone 6, I leave the lilies in the ground year round and only dig them up when I need to thin them. After the blooms are finished on my lilies, I leave the foliage up to allow the plant to collect as much energy for next year. When the foliage dies, I will remove it from the garden and make sure my lilies have a good covering of mulch before winter. A couple months before they bloom, I add some fertilizer to the area.
If you are in an area when you can’t leave the bulbs, wait until the foliage dies back and them dig the bulbs. Remove all the soil and place the bulbs in a cool dark and dry place until you can replant them next season.
Hurricane Lily
Ask the Expert: What flower is this?
I found this flower growing in some dense brush and though i want to trim the brush I wasnt sure if doing so would hurt the flowers as they seem to like the shade.. DJ Dicey
Plant Expert Reply:
I believe this delicate pink flower is a Hurricane Lily (lucoris radiata) also known as a red spider lily. These beautiful flowers are perennial and will live in full sun or partial shade areas. So you can cut back the brush and the lilies will be ok. These lilies usually pop up right before hurricane season (late September – October). The flowers usually last a week or two and then leaves will appear. By next summer the leaves will die back. Then the whole process begins again.
Ask the Expert: I may have old world day lily. The plant foliage comes up in spring and looks similar to daffodil, but larger. Leaves die back during July. After the leaves die, stem grows out of ground to the height of 3 ft. Each stem produces lily-like flowers 6 to each stem at the top of the stem in a circle. They are white at edges pink at center. Six petals to each flower and delicate day lily look. If you have a clue let me know i will give more info. Donna
Plant Expert Reply:
Surprise Lily (Lycoris squamigera)
I believe you have, what we call in the mid-south, a surprise lily. So named because it seems overnight to pop up a bloom stalk with blooms and no appearance of leaves. Surprise lilies (Lycoris squamigera) are sometimes called naked lily, resurrection lily, magic lily, mystery lily, hardy amaryllis, or Guernsey lily. They come from a bulb and can be planted right under sod.
Nerine Bowdenii Spider Lily
Another possibility is the Spider Lily (Nerine bowdenii) which is in the same family, Amaryllidaceae, as Lycoris.
In fact, the common names for each are often assigned to the other one as well. For example Nerine is sometimes called surprise lily, Guernsey lily and are produced from a bulb just like Lycoris.
Each type of lily comes in a range of colors from white to purple and even a reddish color. They like full sun to partial shade, but full sun produces the best blooming. Once planted they will come up year after year without much care.
In my area, we call this a homestead plant. Many old homesteads have this flowering blooming in their yards.
For more information about the Lycoris squamigera, check out Floridata surprise lily page.
For more information about the Nerine bowdenii, check out Pacific Bulb Society Nerine page.
If your flower looks different, send me a picture and we will try to make a different identification.
Ask the Expert: tiger lilysme mature flowering plants.
i have some tiger lilys and i was wounering if the little black things on the leavs are seeds and if they are when can i plant them. thank you Brantlee
Plant Expert Reply:
If the black things are actually on the leaves axils, they are called bulblets. When bulblets mature and fall to the ground they can sprout into new plants. It usually takes 3 years before these bulblets will become mature flowering plants. However the seeds that form in pods after the blooms dissapear can become mature blooming plants the next year.
If you want to harvest and plant the bublets, collected as they start to fall to the ground. THe best time to harvest is after a few drop to the ground.
Ask the Expert: Lilies
I have some beautiful lilies that are about 3 feet tall, orange, and they have what looks like a black seed. It is attached between the leaf and the stem-about the size of a peanut. Are these seeds? If not, what are they? If they are seeds, what do I do with them…plant them or what? Thanks!!!
Sherry
Plant Expert Reply:
The lily family has many members most of which form round black seeds. Usually the seed form at the end of a bloom stem. You can plant the seeds now or harvest and save them to plant later. If you want to save them wait until the pod opens and collect the seed. Place the seed in a plastic resealable bag. Be sure to remove as much air as possible. Place the bag with seeds in your refrigerator vegetable crisper until you need them.
Ask the Expert: Lillies and Gardenias
Jamie:
I have a gardenia tree (about 6 weeks old) that appears healthy but there was only one flower that bloomed. The buds keep on apprearing/growing but nothing opens up? I also recently purchased potted LA Hybrid Lillies and planted immediately in the ground. After a day or so the flowers wilt and then fall off gradually leaf by leaf. The whole flower just lasts a couple of days. What am I doing wrong?
I am new to gardening and would appreciate any advice. I am on the east coast so it is spring/summer here.
Attached are some pictures which could help with your diagnosis
Melissa
Added photos
“The National Animal Poison Control Center says that certain types of lilies can cause renal failure in cats that have ingested any part of the lily. Flower Shop Network recommends keeping lilies out of the reach of cats. It is important to note that lilies do not pose a problem for other pets or humans.”
