As we drive into town there is a house where I couldn't help noticing an incredible clump of lilies growing by the front fence last year. This year I stopped but no one answered my knock so I left a note saying I loved their lilies and could they give me a call and let me know what the variety was?

He called me and said that each year he gives his wife a pot of Easter lilies and then after the blooms fade they plant it in the garden and it lasts for a couple of years and then disappears. He doesn't remember how many years he has had this one, but it clearly isn't an Easter Lily growing there now. Is it Lilium auratum or an auratum cross? Last year it was 7 feet high but this year it is only 6 feet high and I counted at least 10 huge stems coming up from the ground in a circle so my guess is that they got an extra bulb in the pot with their Easter Lily and it has grown and multiplied into a large clump. I told him that it needs dividing this fall and offered to help and asked if he could give me a bulb from it, and he said he would be happy to let me have one.

Any ideas about the true identity? The flowers are about 6-7 inches across and some of the flowers look a little orangish in the photos but not in real life. It's getting past it's prime now but it looked great a couple of weeks ago.

Looks like it might be Conca d'Or an OT hybrid.

to ATP and to the Lilies forum, Kim.

I don't know this Lilie's name, but it surely is nice as is the story about it.

Thank you Ursula.

Joe, I was thinking it might be Conca D'Or until I got up close and saw that the flowers are not more than 7 inches across. I think Conca D'Or has larger flowers.

I just added an avitar and that's my son standing in the middle of my squash patch. This summer has been hotter, earlier than usual so my squash is the best ever!

Hey, I enlarged your avatar to meet your son, only to find out today is your birthady!

Happy Birthady, Kim!!!!!!!!

Well, It's not my birthday in the usual sense, it's just the day I joined All things Plants, but thank you anyway!

I think I'll introduce myself a little. About 23 years ago or so I grew some lilies, and I also grew some from seed. I think I had a few trumpet and asiatics bloom from seed, some which I had bought and some I crossed myself. Then I got somewhat discouraged with lilies because of botrytis and when we moved I didn't get more lilies. Several homes later there were a few lilies in our current home when we bought it and I have thought about getting more several times but I always looked too late in the season and things were sold out but this year the lilies I passed on the street inspired me and I got my lily order in early when the selection was still good.

I was looking at a lot of sites online and I stumbled on this one and started looking at all the photos of everyone's seedlings and I was overcome with a desire to grow lilies from seed again - I remember the extreme thrill of seeing my seedlings bloom when I grew them before, even though they were nothing very outstanding. Back when I was growing lilies in the early 90's I went to an event, sort of an open greenhouse event or something, that had lots of the new Orienpets and I was longing to grow them but the types I wanted were either not available or too expensive. Now I have a longing to try them from seed so I joined the NALS a couple of days ago and ordered 5 packets of seed from the exchange divisions 6 and 8 and I am looking at everyone's pictures of their seedlings and reading the threads relating to hybridizing and growing lilies from seed.

Our current home has sandy soil with terrific drainage and I think if I am more careful about fall cleanup hopefully I can keep the botrytis at bay.

I made it one more time

Hi Kim.

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you're off to a great return to the world of lilies. I bet it won't be too long before we're enjoying pics of your babies.

Kim, welcome to ATP. Growing seedling out can bring great joy. Have fun on your lily adventure