General Description/History

Lilies give their name to the large Family Liliaceae, which contains about 100 species. Several are used as cut flowers with the most common being dealt with here. Lilies grow from bulbs, and are forced into flower almost year round to satisfy demand. They are tremendously popular flowers and together are ranked #5 in cut flower sales from the Dutch Flower Auctions in 2004.

Christmas Lily: tall dark green stems with glossy green foliage topped with one or two large white trumpet-shaped flowers. Heavily scented. In the northern hemisphere these lilies are called ‘Easter Lilies’, whereas in Australia they are produced specifically for the Christmas period. Some Christmas lilies may have red/scarlet lines on the flower – it is more likely these are L. regale, or the Regal Lily.

Oriental Lily: tall green stems with large glossy leaves with two or three large flower per stem. Flower petals reflex back upon opening revealing an interior often spotted brown or black. Orientals can be found in white, pale pink, red or yellow and are renowned for their heavy fragrance, large flower size and long vase life.

Asiatic Lily: Generally shorter stems with several brightly coloured flowers per stem. Colours include yellow, orange, dark red and white and the inside of the petals are commonly spotted in black or brown. Asiatics are not strongly perfumed.

LA: LA stands for ‘Longiflorum + Asiatic’ which are the two parents that gave rise to this relatively recent member of the lily family. LA’s are intermediate in size between the two parents and come in a range of pastel colours: yellow, orange, dark red and white like Asiatics, but much paler in colour. They also have a very attractive scent – far more subtle than L. longiflorum.

Types: Christmas (Easter) Lily, Oriental Lily, Asiatic Lily, LAs.

Language: (General) ‘Purity of Heart’, (orange) ‘Hatred or Dislike’, (white) ‘It’s Heavenly to be with You’, (yellow) ‘I’m Walking On Air’.

What to look for

• Christmas Lilies: in bud but fully coloured white; avoid split flowers close to Christmas;
• Orientals, Asiatics & LA’s: at least 2 buds per stem are fully developed and about to open;
• Leaves glossy and free of yellowing;
• Straight strong stems;
• Check stem ends – they should be green and crisp not dry and white.

Flower Care

1. Keep cool at all times.
2. Strip leaves from the lower half of each stem.
3. Recut at least 2 cm off each stem with sharp secateurs and place in water immediately.
4. Preservative is essential as this will help buds open and maintain fragrance.
5. Replace water every day.
6. Orientals and Asiatics are very sensitive to ethylene. Keep them away from fruit, car exhausts and cigarette smoke.
7. You may remove the pollen-cntaining anthers if you wish, but this can damage the flowers and reduce vase life. Pollen can stain clothing if rubbed and is best removed with sticky tape.

Interesting Facts about this Flower

Lilies have been cultivated for over 3000 years. In Greek poetry, the lily stood for tenderness. It was also referred to as the voice of cicadas or of the muses. There is a Greek myth that tells us how the lily was born from the milk of the goddess Hera. The lily still symbolises pure, virginal love in the Christian world.
Until the 16th century the Madonna lily was the only garden variety known, because of this the “lilies of the field” as mentioned in the Bible are thought to be this lily. A lily has adorned the coat of arms of the kings of France since 1179. Interestingly, only the Florentine ‘fleur de lys’ has stamens like a lily.
In the Language of Flowers, any lily means ‘Purity of Heart’, while orange means ‘Hatred or Dislike’. White lilies mean ‘It’s Heavenly to be with You’, while yellow means ‘I’m Walking On Air’.

Caution: Be aware that lilies can be highly poisonous to cats.

Botanical Name: Lilium longiflorum, L. auratum, L. speciosum, L. longiflorum x Asiatic.

Common Names: Asiatic Lily, Christmas (or Easter) Lily, LA., Oriental Lily

Stem Length: 30 to 100 cm

Country of Origin: Europe, Northern Mediterranean

Available Colours: white

Season: Summer,Autumn,Winter,Spring

Availability: January,February,March,April,May,June,July,August,September,October,November,Decemeber