If you could only plant one lily, what would it be? Or if there was a single lily that everyone should have in their garden.

Gives me a headache even thinking of it! Do you mean one lily as in only one or one variety? Here is my thoughts (but doesn't answer the question). Where is your garden location (zone, light, soils and location within the landscape), more interested in color, form, season, hardiness, garden or pot grown? I haven't had enough coffee yet for this concept of ONLY ONE!

Not one variety, just one single lily! We will say that the location is perfect. Just for fun lol

It would be much easier to say what my favorite lily would not be, and that would be the modern Dutch upfacing hybrids. That said, certainly one of my favorites would be Morden Butterfly for its consistent good health and longevity as well as the visual appearance: elegant long pedicels, cherry red color with a few spots and just overall good form.

pardalinum said:It would be much easier to say what my favorite lily would not be, and that would be the modern Dutch upfacing hybrids.

But aren't the upfacing ones more advantageous for shorter varieties for viewing purposes? Might be a dumb question as I'm fairly new to the lilies yet. I can understand not liking upfacing lilies on something that gets over like 4-5 feet

I do grow a few of the upfacing lilies but they are not my favorites. Sure, upfacing is preferential if you want shorter lilies, say for a border area. I tend to enjoy my lilies more from a short distance, as the whole plant, stem, leaves and inflorescence.

If I could have only one lily, I'd go to Home Depot and buy the prettiest little Asiatic I could find with lots of buds. Then, if Rick wasn't watching, I'd pull out my little pollen envelops and pluck pollen from a few others and go home and have some fun.

Awesome

Great idea lorn. Always thinking outside of the box. Lol

Jmorth, what are those?

Lorn that would be so hilarious !!

Trumpet (from Lisa H aka Buggy Crazy) some years ago (2007, I think). Still going strong.

Actually, it is an interdivisional hybrid Aurelian Lily.

Lily (Lilium 'Awesome')

Only one lily? * twitches *

It's bad enough trying to limit myself to the small amount of space I have, let alone a single lily! But if I had to choose, it would be the one given to me by my grandmother many years ago, which I think was a spotted orange dwarf Asiatic (not sure it's Orange Pixie, based on photos I've seen). Currently can't locate the lily, so sadly suspect I've lost it.

If sentimental reasons weren't a factor, I'm not quite sure which one I'd choose! Too many options...

Now that is what I call creative, Lorn. Only a hybridizer could think of that.

One lily? Pink Jazz or Silk Road. Gotta have fragrance in my pick. And it must have potential for seed production, by way of *my neighbors tetraploid O/T and trumpet lilies

Tracey, does your neighbor have carte blanche? Lol

If she doesn't, she will when I have to give her all of my lilies except one.

Tracey i would never make you give up your lovely lilies. Well unless they were coming my way. Lol

While some lilies may be more beautiful (and easier to grow), there is none more elegant and graceful than Lilium canadense.

That would be my choice.

Miss Feya is one that comes to mind, but so do many others. Robina might be my favorite for smell.

Jmorth, I can see why they are called awesome. Those are beautiful! ! I would like to get some "chocolate canary"

Joshua, I know what you mean about there being a ton of choices.