Lilies have skyrocketed in popularity among local market growers these past few years. Once flower farmers realized how easy they are to grow—plastic crates, growing mix and a bit of heat are all you need—everyone started growing them.

As a result, suppliers are having a hard time filling all the orders for lily bulbs, and are often forced to substitute for requested varieties. We have been getting more substitutions every season, it seems. Sometimes we hate it, because we can’t meet our schedules for specific colors. Other times we love it, because we have been introduced to a lot of great lily varieties that we might not have chosen ourselves. Occasionally we get a substitution without a name—and we like it much more than the variety we had originally requested. That happened a couple of seasons ago when we ordered an orange Asiatic, Elite, and got a dark pink Asiatic by mistake. We loved that lily, but the bulb company was not able to identify it for us, and I don’t think we’ve ever seen it again in the dark pinks we have grown. It will remain a mystery.

Usually, when you order lilies, the supplier will ask if it’s all right to make substitutions. Before you say yes, be clear about what is most important to you—color or forcing time or both. For example, if you must have a certain shade of pink for a June wedding, you need both color and forcing time to match. If you just want bright colors for Mother’s Day bouquets, specify that any substitutes be the same number of days to force.

The number of lily varieties that can be grown for cut flowers is staggering. When you add up the Asiatics, LA Hybrids, and Orientals, they number in the hundreds. As we’ve grown new varieties every year, we’ve tried to keep track of their attributes so we’ll know whether to request them again. (We have come to realize, however, that when we reorder one of those substitutions, we may get yet another substitution.) Here are some details about the lilies we have grown; you may be asked to substitute one of these when you order other varieties.

Oriental lilies
Let’s start with the beautiful, fragrant Orientals. They are usually much larger than Asiatics or LA Hybrids, and the bulbs are more expensive. They are available in white, pink or what is described as red but could also be interpreted as deep rose. In general, they take longer to force than Asiatics and LA Hybrids. Although they will naturalize beautifully, the flowers won’t be as nice as those grown in the greenhouse because the wind and sun may scorch them. We have found that we can fill the protected gardens around the house with Oriental lilies, but we don’t try to grow them in the open field. In the descriptions below, bud count is given for the 14/16 size; if you don’t need a high bud count you can go down a size to the 12/14 bulbs.

We have grown four white Orientals that were comparable in appearance: Alma Ata, Carolyn, Helvetia, and Siberia. All were pure white with 4-6 buds. Helvetia is supposed to take only 75 days to force, but we found it took more than 100 days, like the others. Siberia is the most expensive, with bulbs costing 90 cents each as opposed to around 63 cents for Carolyn.

Many of the white lilies have colored stripes or spots on them, which totally changes the overall appearance of the flower. We are currently growing Amazing, which has a yellow stripe down the center of the petals. Once this lily opens fully, you’ll understand the name. It is 10.5 inches from petal tip to petal tip. In the photo at left, a normal sized Starfighter lily is beside the white Amazing. It has just 3-5 buds per stem from the 14/16 bulbs.

Another lily that is listed among the whites is Dizzy, which has a red stripe and red spots. Flowers are smaller, but numerous—very cute.
Another lily that is usually described as red or crimson is Starfighter. To my eye, it’s deep pink. It’s similar to the famous Stargazer, which is actually less expensive, but often sold out. Starfighter has a wide white edge. Concordia is a dark pink with white edge, similar to Stargazer.
Among the many pink varieties, I always try to grow either Acapulco or LeReve because both are very quick to flower, about 85 days. Acapulco is a darker shade than LeReve. We have also grown Aktiva, which is dark pink with smaller flowers. In general, these pinks have similar characteristics, and any will be just fine for weddings and mixing with other pastel flowers.

LA Hybrids
These are a cross between Asiatics and Longiflorum lilies. They have the foliage of Asiatics, but the much bigger flowers of an Easter Lily. They are available in a wider range of colors, including many that I find unappealing and hard to work with. So be careful when ordering these lilies; if the varieties you want aren’t available, ask a lot of questions about the substitutions. We also find the LA Hybrids to be very fragile; you have to sell them in bud to prevent creased or broken petals, and even the buds pop off easily if they get knocked around. The small bulbs, 10/12 size, usually produce only two or three buds, so you really have to be careful with these lilies.

Among the pinks we have grown, I would not recommend Royal River, which was a substitute for the deep pink Fangio. It was a dull mauve color that actually made the other flowers in a bouquet look drab. Brindisi is a better choice, a clear light pink.

We’ve also noticed that the varieties categorized as “orange” are not the clear, bright color we are looking for when we order orange. Rather, they are the color of cantaloupe. This applies to Royal Trinity and Club House. It’s not a bad color; in fact, putting Royal Trinity with the pink Brindisi reminded me of sherbert and my customers loved them. We’re still looking for a bright orange LA Hybrid.

Asiatics
We have more success growing Asiatics when we want orange. These lilies are the least expensive to buy and the quickest to grow, and the color range is tremendous. The flowers are small and not fragrant, but if you need color for bouquets or other design work, you can’t beat Asiatic lilies. Unfortunately, there are plenty of cheap Asiatics on the wholesale market; this spring, florists were paying 99 cents a stem for them.

One of our favorite Asiatics is the bright yellow Dreamland. It flowers in 90 days and has five to seven buds from the smallest 10/12 size bulbs. It has a thick, strong stem, not as tall as some lilies, and can be grown outside nearly as well as in the greenhouse. It is much better than Pollyanna, which has thinner, twisting petals that fall off too easily. Cordelia is also a good yellow, but it takes 110 days to flower. We have grown the double Fata Morgana and found it to be nothing special. The inner petals often look deformed. A pale yellow—actually a cream and yellow bicolor—is Kansas.

Among the pinks, one of my favorites is Vivaldi, which is a clear light pink. Toronto is pink with a pale yellow center; I liked it in the greenhouse but not outside, where the colors seem to fade. Shiraz was an adequate pink.

Oranges are among the most popular lilies, so order now if you want to grow some for fall. I do not recommend the variety Brunello which has stiff stems and long internodes that stick out of a bouquet and don’t fit into a sleeve. A better orange is Elite. Cancun is a yellow/orange bicolor that I didn’t like—it seems gaudy to me—but some customers might.

In conclusion
As I look back through my notes about the dozens of lily varieties I’ve grown over the years, I am reminded again how important recordkeeping is to the flower grower. In the thrill of the moment, I always think I’ll remember every detail about a flower, but five years later, I have to rely on my notes. I have learned to write down all my impressions so that I can eventually settle on a half dozen or so varieties that fit my needs. Then I may be able to order bulbs far enough in advance to actually get the varieties I want.