They sure don't look like lily seedlings . Number 3 definitely shows a horizontal root (rhizome?) at the base, similar to some beardless irises. You might just have to grow these out a bit before we can figure it out. Or someone who has seen something similar will come and weigh in...

As for picture size, I don't think you need to be concerned about it. Dave has the system programmed to automatically adjust the size. Myself, I usually reduce mine some just to crop out the junk I don't want people to see .

Hi Mike,

Your photos are fine.

The plants definitely do not look like lilies. Nor do they look like any beardless irises I've seen. Is it possible they could be some sort of running daylily, like fulva?

Was the soil you potted them in a pristine one, such as bagged soil, or was it something you dug up?

I concur. Definitely not any kind of Lilium. To grow that much without coming above ground leads me to wonder if they did not come from seed at all. Do you remember what the seeds looked like?

Mrs. R.O. Backhouse seeds look like this, no matter who the pollinator was:



The photo was taken with a lighted background. The seeds would have looked darker in color, and you would not be able to see the single line (the embryo) within each seed. Inside the circled area would be nearly opaque, outside would be translucent and paper like.

That's what I'm thinking too, Rick. The more I look at the shoots coming up, it looks like the ditch lilies, fulva, or what is the stuff that comes up and looks like dayliliy foliage, but never flowers? I can't think of it, but we have it all over around our area. I suspect it was something in the dirt already.

Really don't remember what the seeds look like. I can't find my notes on who sent them to me. I will just set them aside and see if the blooms. I am into daylilies but normally don't use the dirt to repot lilies. It could be that its just a weed seed that fell into the container. Hopefully the future will tell. Thanks everyone

Please let us know how it works out, Mike. It's possible seeds planted 10/09 could have produced those roots/ rhizomes, but it sure looks like something might have been in the soil.

Since you're into daylilies, do the sprouts look like daylilies to you, or no?

when is a lily not a lily?-when its a lilium,,.mind you,there are some great lilys out there!!!!!!

I potted them up, will let you know if I get any blooms.

Bulbs popping up in my basement. They sure liked coming out of the fridge.

Just found this forum. Wanda luv your lilies!! Now it looks like I'm going to have to start learning how to grow them from seeds. Where can I find lily seeds to grow?

we have a thread here on 'reputable seed suppliers',.,.you should take a look Donna! i just put in another order to "Cascade'' after looking back through some of the pics on old threads here!!!Who knows?Donna if the bug bites hard enough,you might end up a crazed/posessed seed grower like me!!
soon,you have so many foam boxes in the back yard,it starts to resemble''antarctica''.

Wow! Nice set up Anthony!

Well the roots that I potted up are growing now, they are just weeds.

Do lilies dislike frequent watering? While actively growing? After they fade? Are certain types better than others with water loving plants like Japanese Iris? With water haters? Any tips would be appreciated.

What kind of soil do you have, Evan, heavy or light? I'm on sand, and I grow mine all together. On sand they don't seem to mind the watering. But Pard and Tracey can tell you better.

Since I don't have sand I can't address that in particular. I have heavy clay which I try to amend with compost but eventually it is always heavy clay again.

For that reason I have separated my lilies from the JIs, at least some of them and I will move more lilies in the fall. I have really been putting a lot of water on the JIs this year and even "invented" a thingy to help the water go deeper, otherwise it tends to just run off into the neighbor's yard and water his weeds from h&*%^.

One lily that will not tolerate a lot of wet is L. auratum; I don't know about its hybrids. I purchased a bulb and it didn't last a year in my wet clay.

A lily that needs moisture (and acidic soil) is L. superbum ("Swamp Lily", sometimes available from B&D Lilies).

Most of your ordinary garden lilies will tolerate a dry period like we have in the Northwest every summer but summer water won't harm them as long as the soil drains well, especially if your clmate is particularly hot.

Now that you mention it I recall you mentioning that on the Iris Cubit.

I between. For the JI I've been moving I dig a 2' dia. hole about 2' deep and fill with water. It drains out in about 15-20 min. Out back where the corn field was, this is an old farm house, it's a bit faster. Most everywhere there's 10-12" of topsoil.

Is 4 hours too little sun for lilies? This is for an area near the Iris.

As a kid I grew up in a house on a hill with lots of rock walls and terraces. I remember 4 main perennials there. Tiger lilies, semps, a NOID iris and a small white and green hosta which I hated. I've gotten over the hosta thing and have quite a few now. Looking in here I'm reminded of the tiger lilies and the little bulbils which we had fun planting all over.

Thanks Connie, by my reckoning our summers are pretty hot in the high 80's to low 90's. Of course nothing compared to what others are seeing this year. August has cooled down more quickly than the norm. Sounds like lilies it is.
Care to share details on the thingy at this time?