Lilies are self-sterile. I found this out by about 20 years of non-success self-pollinating a solitary L. szovitsianum. Then I read Ed McRae's book where he stated this was so. It was a great relief to know it was the lily's fault, and not mine. Early this summer, my single plant of Lilium mackliniae flowered for the first time and I sent a picture to the wiki. I observed the development of a seedpod through the summer, and recently harvested what look like viable seeds. The flowering occurred in May, and there were no other lilies in bloom in the entire neighbourhood. When this lily was first discovered, it was considered to be a Nomocharis. I haven't been successful at growing any Nomocharis seeds to maturity, despite sporadic attempts, so I don't know whether they are self-fertile. Does anyone know whether there are any other self-fertile lilies? -- Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada maritime zone 8 cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually) sandy soil