I tried to find the thread on growing species

Haven't had much luck in the baggy system. Just for discussion, if you are able to grow a few small bulbs in your baggies, after a period of time (Time?) you are ready to separate them into their own containers. What size do you use? 1 gallon or a 6 pkg. You would think it would be best to find a small container that the root system would stay together (forming a root ball) and later transplanting it into a larger container?

Hope you don't mind if I add to your thread, Rick?

It occurred to me to photograph Lilium cernuum var. album before I planted it (though maybe the correct name is L. cernuum var. candidum? I'm confused!):




Has such long roots compared to the bulb size!

dellac said:Hope you don't mind if I add to your thread, Rick?

Not at all, Della. And a fine specimen it is. Newly acquired bulbs are commonly not very good representations for showing the real characteristics of the species (or hybrid). I do take pics of the few bulbs that I do purchase, but the same bulbs straight out of the ground in following years usually tell so much more. Your pic clearly shows the rounded habit characteristic of the species is a good addition here.

Contractile roots are not present on any stoloniferous Lilium species. These species adjust their height in the soil not by pulling themselves down (what contractile roots do), but by growing a new bulb at the level of their choosing, be that deeper, shallower or at the same level as the original bulb.

This year was extremely rainy for us throughout the spring and summer. Although this seedling bulb had been untouched for 3-4 years in the ground, and certainly by then would have found its happy place (correct height) in the soil, it re-adjusted this year. The new bulbs (small arrows) grew 3/4 inch higher this season. Last year's bulb (large arrow) had produced five blooms, a respectable amount for Lilium michiganense, but it is clear that the much larger bulbs formed this season benefited by the extra moisture.

Notice that roots only last one year (approximately late summer to late summer). As with all stoloniferous lily species, all roots from the old bulb will die by fall's end.

Lilium michiganense

As I dug for that Lilium michiganense bulb in the last post, I discovered this orphan that was removed and had somehow lost its way (rodents?) and survived just under the soil surface. As some lilies under stress will do, it did not produce any top growth this season at all. When a bulb at a correct depth skips a season of top growth, the resulting underground bulb is usually at least as big as the previous years growth. In this case, since the bulb was not happy at such a shallow depth and it appears there were no roots to sustenance, the plant lived on bulb reserves and the new bulb is significantly smaller. Thank goodness this was an extra rainy season. Otherwise, this one may not hae survived at all!

Lilium canadense

Interesting, informative!

This is an informative photo article.
Thanks for doing it!

Yes, thank you for the detailed info!

Thanks all.
One might compare the two Lilium michiganense photos in this thread:


I don't know if they are exactly the same plant, but they are at least from the same seed lot. I was going to present to you the difference in the length of the stolons, but in actuality the are almost the same. Still, the ratios of stolon length to size of bulb is drastically dissimilar. The seedling put a lot more energy into finding a more amenable depth rather than producing sizable bulbs. I would expect this to be the case at anytime the original bulb of a stoloniferous species is at a hugely deleterious depth (whether it be too shallow or too deep).

It's April 30th, and I just received some beautiful Lilium superbum bulbs from Susie (4susiesjoy). They are perfect examples of stoloniferous bulbs, just like Lilium michiganense. These two species are very closely related. Notice how long the underground sprouts are already, even though Susie lives in northern Minnesota (zone 3), and her spring has barely begun. Lily bulbs of species native to northerly climates will sprout earlier, and if one needs to dig in the spring, sometimes it almost impossible to be able to dig early enough to get them before they begin growth.



So it should be evident to us all that the sprouting bulbs were produced last season, and the ones with dried fibrous remnants of stems are from the season before that.

Those are some really nice, healthy looking bulbs.

Very nice!

Lilium martagon 'Claude Shride'.


Lilium davidii

Among the many reasons why this is such a popular edible bulb in Asian cuisine, the species' bulbs are nice and tight, no matter what their size... makes them easy to clean.

Stoloniform bulbs


edited for grammar

Lilium poilanei from seed. Poor things... they are over two years old now and I think some have shrunken! I'm happy that I've kept them alive, but I think I have a long way to go before making them happy! I found some lovely leaf mould last week, so just repotted them into a leaf-mould-and-sharp-sand mix.

Does anyone have any experience to share growing this lily to flowering?



The bulb in the first pic is the largest of the seedlings. In the second it is pictured beside the smallest and a couple that are representative of the rest. Interesting how thick the roots are for the bulb size....

these bulbs pics are fascinating........
the one species bulb that surprised me here was L. Regale. it did not look much different then a regular lily bulb other then it was purple.
the same with the Regale Album.......

the Martagon Album surprised me that it was yellow to be honest........

For species identification, color is not a determining factor unless the bulb has not been exposed to light and it is mature (or approximate minimum age of 3 years). Stem bulblets from the same stem, for instance, may be exhibit varying colors.

Very thick roots Della, I had gotten a few seedlings from a friend in the mail and they had thick roots too. Sadly they were small and I may have two left.

Pat, trumpet bulbs are usually tinted purple and martagons have a yellowish tint in my experience.

even the L. Regale. I guess although it is a trumpet style lily even if it is species Lily.
I was just not sure what to expect when I opened the bag......
Some of the species bulbs planted are really cool in color and so on........in this thread
my interest is turning more and more to the species.........I might change next year.hahaha
but for now.........something magical about them to be honest........

being sort of a newbie to the lilies and not planted as many as I have over this past year......ever
I got reading McRae's book and took an interest in the L.Regale and others...

I have not opened the Nepalense....but likely it will be of a purple type.......as well since it is a trumpet too. Someone told me that it is planted on it side...
still waiting to finish it own bed here first and then it goes in........shortly.

planting lilies outside and I can NOT Believe that Nepalense will produce a BIG flower with such a small small bulb......
I was surprised at the size of it........
shocked is more the word......tiny tiny tiny

You have any pictures Pat?