Post a reply

Avatar for patweppler
Jul 18, 2016 10:06 AM CST
Thread OP

Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Thumb of 2016-07-18/patweppler/038702


Just like the orange ones but yellow
the birds are taking the seeds off the plant along the stem
never seen them before and not sure why they are doing that
thought that they would not be good for birds.........but guess I was wrong
mostly golden finches and chickadees doing it
Image
Jul 18, 2016 5:01 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Joshua
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Zone 10a)
Köppen Climate Zone Cfb
Plant Database Moderator Forum moderator Region: Australia Cat Lover Bookworm Hybridizer
Orchids Lilies Irises Seed Starter Container Gardener Garden Photography
Odd. Never heard of birds eating the bulbils before! Clearly some of them have worked out that they're edible.
Plant Authorities: Catalogue of Life (Species) --- International Cultivar Registration Authorities (Cultivars) --- RHS Orchid Register --- RHS Lilium Register
My Notes: Orchid Genera HTML PDF Excel --- Lilium Traits HTML PDF --- Lilium Species Crosses HTML PDF Excel --- Lilium Species Diagram
The current profile image is that of Iris 'Volcanic Glow'.
Image
Jul 18, 2016 6:31 PM CST

I used to grow quite a bit of it and others with bulbils, and had lots of birds (had the biggest clear spot in the forest) and they never did that. they got into the barn and stole small bulbs (mostly native bulbs) off the trays, but never lily bulbils!
Avatar for patweppler
Jul 21, 2016 10:13 AM CST
Thread OP

Celebrating Gardening: 2015
So today apon checking the gardens again............the yellow tigers have lost all their bulbils on the ones that are blooming right now. The ones that have no bloomed still have all of them intact.....
I was standing there watching the birds from a distance and yes they are eating and taking the seeds .........
the odd thing is that they are not touching the orange ones at all...........just the yellow tigers.......
seen my first monarch butterfly in years today on the yellow tigers too..........
the yellow blooms are huge on the plant too...........so that is nice to see as well
there are quite a few of them out there........5 for sure plants with tons of blooms........
and a couple not opened at all yet
Image
Jul 21, 2016 10:45 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Connie
Willamette Valley OR (Zone 8a)
Forum moderator Region: Pacific Northwest Sedums Sempervivums Lilies Hybridizer
Plant Database Moderator I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member Pollen collector Plant Identifier Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Yesterday I went and collected all the bulbils from my Nutcracker stems, just in case. I swear over the last few days there seemed to be a few missing and I didn't find them on the ground either.
Avatar for RosesMaid
Jul 22, 2016 4:21 AM CST

This is a very interesting observation. I wonder how the birds figured out that they are edible and that too just the yellow ones. I'll give it to the power of nature. It's amazing.
Avatar for patweppler
Jul 24, 2016 10:59 AM CST
Thread OP

Celebrating Gardening: 2015
This might be a strange year for the birds to find seeds as well.
It has been hot hot here and not much rain............and the yellow tigers were full of the bulbils so they took advantage of that.....
chickadees and yellow finches........

well see what happens next year ........

another couple of orange tigers opened in another garden not that far from the yellow ones and noticed today that some of the bulbils are gone as well......

are tigers the only lilies that do this??

I could see them eating seeds out of pods once they are dried out but then again that makes no sense unless the seeds are viable is my way of thinking
been studying birds for years and years......
I know on the tulip tree here is the pod has no viable seed in the pod and it falls to the ground the animals and birds do not touch it but if it is up the tree they will take everyone since that means they have some viable seeds in the pods....
Avatar for Sandymaex
Jul 28, 2016 4:44 AM CST
Name: Sandy
Croft, PA (Zone 5a)
Bee Lover Birds Butterflies Daylilies Dragonflies Hummingbirder
Region: Pennsylvania The WITWIT Badge
Is it possible someone could send me some of the bulbils from the yellow tiger lilies? I used to have the yellow tiger lilies but no-more. I don't know where they went.

Thanks!

Sandy
Image
Jul 28, 2016 5:00 AM CST
Name: Dave
Southern wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Japanese Maples Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Pollen collector Peonies Lilies
Irises Hybridizer Hummingbirder Dog Lover Daylilies Clematis
Sandy, I'd be more than happy to send you some this fall from my citronellla variety of you would like. Just send me a tree mail
Only the members of the Members group may reply to this thread.
Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )