Regal lily
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| Lilium regale |
The Regal lily, or Lilium regale, is a trumpet flowered lily, native to western Szechuan in China. It was introduced to England in 1903. The plant is stem-rooting. Leaves are borne at irregular intervals on the stem. Plants grow up to 2 meters high, though 1.2 to 1.5 meters is more common in the garden. The flowers are 14 cm long, funnel or trumpet shaped, large, white with a yellow throat inside, flushed purple outside. They are strongly fragrant, especially at night.
This Chinese species is the easiest white lily to grow in most gardens. It is very popular for its fine display of long glistening flowers and for their heady, memorable perfume. The Regal lily tolerates most soils happily, although the height of their stems and the number of flowers depends on the amount of humus and fertility in the ground. The bulbs themselves are very hardy, but the shoots appear early in the season and are liable to be damaged by frost unless sheltered by adjacent plants. Plants can be raised from seed very quickly, and often flower in their second year. You can obtain an extensive seed list from Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Lily Group. The RHS has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Lilies have few problems. Aphids can attach to buds; treat with mild insecticidal soap since aphids can carry a mosaic virus which has no cure. Plants must be removed from the site. Mosaic causes yellow streaking or mottling on leaves, disfiguring buds and flowers. If planted in hot and humid areas it's best to keep lilies in raised beds to avoid fungal problems. Some rodents (such as mice, voles, gophers and chipmunks) like to eat the bulbs. In recent years, the scarlet lily beetle has become a serious pest in many parts of southern Britain, and it appears to be spreading northwards and westwards. Regal lilies require staking. If used for cutting always leave at least 1/3 of the stalk for nutrition for the following year's development.
[edit] References
The European Garden Flora (1986).
- Flora of China: Lilium
- RHS Lily Group [1]
- Info about care for lilies
