In the last decade, new varieties of very high lilies, called the tree lily, have appeared in garden stores. Since then, disputes about this plant have not subsided: some call it a myth, others recommend it as new original hybrid varieties. Let’s try to figure out what are tree lilies, the planting and care of which are of interest not only to florists, but also to all gardeners.
What does a tree look like?
Although many distrustful gardeners believe that after all, a lily is a flower, a tree with that name exists and impresses with its size and beauty of flowers. With proper care, it can become taller than its owners (some specimens reach a height of 2.5 m). And his flowers have a large gamut and fireworks in shades, some of which resemble children's panamas in size and shape. One plant can have up to 20 tubular flowers, similar to a turban or goblet.
Such a huge plant exudes a delicate and persistent aroma, which in combination with external beauty gives it not only an exotic, but also an aristocratic look.
Such plants are called trees only conditionally for their high growth (up to 2.5 m), but in fact they are varieties of very large and tall flowers, bred not only by natural means, but also with the help of breeder scientists who grow when they are actively fed by gardeners on sites.
Those varieties that are currently sold in stores are tree lilies, the varieties of which are of two types:
- species lilies (or cardiocrinum) that grow in nature in the wild;
- OT hybrids, which are obtained by biologists by crossing tubular and eastern varieties of lilies.
These types of lilies are completely different in terms of growth, soil requirements and agricultural technology. They multiply slowly and bloom only for 2-3 years after planting.
Species lilies
This plant in science is called cardiocrinum ("heart-shaped lily" - Greek), its name was given for the shape of the leaves. In the world there are only 4 species of such plants growing on Sakhalin Island, the Japanese Islands, the Himalayas and China.
Cardiocrinum is a bulbous plant (white bulb in the shape of a cone), its stems, hollow inside, have a diameter of 5 cm near the ground.
Leaves, similar in shape to hearts, with reticular venation, alternate, attached to the stem with long stalks. Flowers, most often white or pale green, tubular, usually horizontally deflected or look drooping, are located on short pedicels.
Cardiocrinum blooms only for 4-5 years after planting with very large flowers, after which the bulb dies, forming small children that are suitable for subsequent reproduction.
On horticultural sites in the open ground, only 2 varieties of lily trees are grown: giant and Chinese. The lily tree, the photo of which is presented in the article, impresses even experienced gardeners.
The giant cardiocrinum in its homeland (in the Himalayas) grows on the slopes of the mountains and has a height of up to 3 m. It usually blooms in August, inflorescences have up to 20 large greenish flowers, each up to 15 cm long, emitting a very pleasant smell.
Cardiocrinum Chinese grows at home in the mountains near rivers and in the forests of the Center and East of China. The height of the plant reaches 1.5 m with leaves located at the top of the stems. There are only up to 5 flowers with a size of about 10 cm, a pale green color with small red spots on the apex.
How to plant and care
Cardiocrinum prefers very warm, fertile places, located a little in the shade (does not like direct sunlight). In order for such lily trees, planting and care of which require some experience from gardeners, to be placed on the garden plot, you need to carefully prepare the soil before planting: make drainage (the bulb can rot due to high humidity), make leafy soil. The optimal landing time is the beginning of autumn.
A hole is made large, 60 cm in size, adding sand and soil. When planting, the top of the bulb should look out of the soil. The distance between adjacent bulbs is at least 1 m.
For the winter period, they build a special air shelter from the spruce branches, covering the entire plant. Such a shelter should not be removed immediately in the spring, but it is necessary to wait until the spring frosts pass (sprinkle snow on this time). After opening, the plant must be protected from the sun.
It is important that the tree develops correctly. Lilies do not require specific care, you need several top dressings with the help of complex mineral (in spring) and organic fertilizers (in summer). To reduce the acidity of the soil, it is recommended to add wood ash (the plant does not like acid soil) or add bone meal.
Cardiocrinum should be watered 1-2 times a week (less often in rainy weather). When watering, you can add growth stimulants directly to the water. Tall stems need support so that the plant does not fall and does not break due to wind or its weight. Every winter, the lily tree should be pruned and sheltered from frost and cold.
For reproduction, it is necessary to timely separate the daughter buds from the dead and dried bulb-mother (and better before they germinate and the emergence of young roots). If children in a bunch are left to winter in the ground, then they most often die from the cold.
Cardiocrinum can also be propagated using seeds, which are usually collected in the spring before the start of the growing season, and then sown in prepared soil.
OT hybrids - what is it?
Another breeding variety of giant lilies was created by scientists in Canada who bred tree lilies - hybrids of the OT class. In scientific circles, they were given the name Oriental X - tubular. These lilies produce an indelible impression with their beauty and unusualness.
The first offer for the sale of lily trees appeared in the Netherlands in the flower catalog, which promised customers trees up to 2.5 m high with an unimaginable number of flowers (50-60). Since then, discussions of the reality of the existence of such plants take place regularly in the scientific community and in the vastness of the worldwide network.
Then the question of the legality of the name "trees" remained open. Already in 2009, one of the firms in Canada registered the Lily-tree trademark, and this name was assigned to them.
Another name given to such lilies by foreign breeders - Goliath - is due, of course, to their size. In recent years, these powerful beauties with the help of experienced gardeners began to be grown in the middle latitudes of Russia. However, to get flowers on such a wonderful tree, you need to wait 2-3 years.
Hybrid varieties
Over the past few years, many varieties of hybrid plants have been bred. A lily tree, a photo of which you can see in the article, can have a different degree of frost resistance. Also different may be the height of the stem, the color of the flowers, the duration of flowering, the requirements for care.
Lily tree - varieties (photos and colors):
- Aventino (pink with a yellow star);
- Anastasia (pink-crimson flowers with a white border, a very tall stem);
- Big Brother (vanilla yellow flowers);
- Donato (hot pink);
- Carboner (dark cherry or red with a yellow middle);
- Corsini (pink with a yellow-green middle);
- Gold Class (yellow-red with dots);
- Holland Beauty (raspberry with cream border);
- Honeymoon (yellow honey);
- Miss Patchwork (maroon with strokes of the color of chocolate in the middle and a white border);
- Holland Beauty (raspberry with cream edging);
- Mr. Job (brown-burgundy with a green star in the middle and a cream stripe around the edge);
- Pasyon Moon (cream with purple in the middle and yellow spraying);
- Preti Wumen (white);
- Purple Prince (burgundy purple);
- Robin (raspberry with a white center);
- Zelmira (orange-pink) and many others.
The highest grades: Friso, Donato, Anastasia, Robina.
Very popular are varieties such as Purple Prince, Pretti Wumen lily tree, planting and care for which require more attention than low varieties.
Popular hybrids
First of all, it must be clarified that such hybrids reach their maximum growth and flowering no earlier than 3 years of age: in the first year, such a lily grows by about 30 cm, in the second - by 50-60 cm, and only by the third its height reaches not less than 1.5 meters. All hybrid varieties bloom for 2-3 years.
The most popular variety now is the Pretti Wumen lily tree, in which the flowers (25 cm in diameter) have a soft creamy snow-white hue with a slight pink tint, after flowering the buds become completely white.
Such a lily is obtained by crossing oriental and tubular lilies. In inflorescence usually has up to 30 flowers funnel-shaped or cup-shaped, with a pleasant aroma. Flowers, as a rule, are directed upward or slightly to the side, several shades of coloring are found: yellowish, pink, light orange and multicolor. Flowering time - the second half of summer.
The stem of such a lily tree is strong and durable, up to 180 cm high, under very favorable conditions, plants can grow up to 2.5 m in 3 years. This variety has good winter hardiness and increased resistance to disease.
Also very popular is such a variety as the honeymoon lily tree, which is characterized by increased winter hardiness (it does not freeze even during severe frosts down to -35º). The tree grows up to 2 meters and is capable of releasing more than 18 beautiful buds, which then bloom with an unusual moon-honey color (with a darker middle) with a rich aroma.
Lily trees: planting and care
Such plants have some specific features of agricultural technology when planting in the soil, during the period of growth and flowering. Some varieties love acidic soil, some alkaline.
Let us consider as an example such a popular hybrid variety as the Pretti Wumen lily tree, planting and caring for which are carried out similarly to other plants of OT hybrids.
For such a lily tree, the soil needs slightly acidic, with a high content of fertilizers (but not fresh organic matter). This plant does not like the proximity of groundwater, so the best place where lily (tree) can be planted is to plant on slightly raised flower beds, provided with good drainage. For drainage, gravel and river sand are used, sprinkled with a layer of up to 20 cm.
It is better to place lily plantings in slightly shaded places, for example, located under the crowns of fruit trees, giving a diffuse shadow.
The growth and blooming time of such liliaceous trees is 4-5 years, because on the 5th year the bulb is depleted, which leads to a decrease in peduncle growth, a decrease in the number of buds, possible diseases and even death of the tree.
Bulb planting is carried out either in early autumn, or in April-May. The soil is prepared in advance, when planting the bulbs under its bottom and around pour sand, the planting depth is 15-20 cm from the roots to the surface. After this, the soil must be mulched.
Watering lilies should be done 1-2 times a week all summer, and especially during the flowering period. For these plants, it is very important to top dress, especially when forming buds. The last top dressing of the season should be carried out until mid-August with the predominance of potash fertilizers, which will help the bulb recover faster after flowering.
And so, cold autumn came, over the summer lily (tree) planted in spring grew up. "How do they winter?" - This question is most often asked by gardeners when preparing plants for winter frosts. Although there are varieties with increased cold resistance, it is still necessary to warm the plantings of lily-laden trees.
In late autumn, the trunk of the plant is cut off, planting is insulated with dry mulching and covered for the winter with a layer of 5-10 cm (for example, rotted compost or coniferous litter). This helps the bulbs remaining in the ground not to get sick and survive the winter frosts.
In the spring, such a shelter becomes a mulch, saving first from frost, and then serves to maintain soil moisture. It is very important in spring not to loosen the planting site of the lily tree, since it gives many sprouts that can be broken.
Propagation of lily trees
Garden lilies are usually propagated using seeds, children, cuttings and bulbs.
Lily trees (for example, the Pretti Wumen lily tree) are most often propagated with bulbs, although the number and speed of their growth in hybrid varieties are small. The process of reproduction in them is quite laborious and slow, because the bulbs are very sensitive to dampness and can deteriorate in the autumn.
In addition, children can be obtained only after a few years, when the plant begins to bloom in full force. The oldest tree (4-5 years old) forms a whole nest with bulbs suitable for planting.
Lily trees can also be propagated with the help of seeds located in boxes at the top of the stems (late autumn). Before the onset of cold weather, they are cut off (together with part of the stem) and placed in a warm place for ripening. Sowing of ripened seeds is best done immediately because of the high probability of their loss of germination.
Pyramid lilies exist?
Pyramids or spray lilies do not exist in nature, despite the assurances of some private sellers or firms selling various flower varieties. The number of buds on such pyramids is advertised more than 40 pieces, which is completely unrealistic.
The explanation for this may be the phenomenon of fasciation, when there is a random splicing of several stems at once for some reason:
- unfavorable conditions or failure during plant growth, when damage to the bulb or shoots is possible;
- bacterial infection, the effects of pesticides or radiation;
- excessive use of bioregulators and growth stimulants or mineral fertilizers;
- mutations associated with changes in temperature or lighting and humidity.
In this case, it is possible to bend or deform shoots that become flatter. There are some varieties of lilies (e.g. Marlene) that are prone to fasciation.
Variety Marlene belongs to the species of Asian hybrid lilies, the advantage of which is winter hardiness, earlier flowering, very strong shoot formation. The stem height is up to 1 m. The flowers are quite large, pink at the ends and white in the middle. The flowering period lasts up to 2 months. One of the unusual differences is that they are absolutely odorless.
Marilyn lilies with the phenomenon of fascination of the peduncle can form from 40 to 100 flowers. But this phenomenon is completely spontaneous and is not regulated by man. This is also explained by the ability of plants to produce several shoots from one bulb at once, which can grow together under the influence of fasciation, forming a single thick peduncle.
Although advertised bush and pyramidal species of lilies do not exist, they do not give out the Marleen variety. This variety of hybrid lily itself is worth a few words of admiration.
Lily trees in a garden design
Lily trees, planting and caring for which are very simple, suitable for decorating any garden plot. Many bred hybrid varieties have a wide variety of colors and are perfectly adapted for growth between fruit trees in the garden or near the house.
When creating flower beds with such tall plants, you should pre-calculate the possibility of planting other flower plants and place them between lilies (different types of asters, delphiniums, gladioli or chamomile will do).
On the edge of such a flower bed, you can plant bulbous varieties of tulips, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths. As a background, stunted species of marigolds, cloves, perennial Iberis and others are planted.
As neighbors for lilies, juniper, thuja, cypress or ferns are suitable. Using the planting of several varieties of lilies at once, you can select them by flowering time to ensure long alternating flowering of plants.
In our country, so far a small number of amateur gardeners are engaged in such plants. Many people are either unfamiliar with these types of flowers, or do not trust sites that advertise a lily tree. The reviews of those specialists who purchased lily trees, were able to grow them and wait for flowering (3 years of waiting is still a considerable period) indicate the extraordinary beauty of such flower trees and the originality of their size.