Lilium formosanum
James Waddick (Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:05:49 PDT)
I have not seen the JC Raulston stock (mentioned by Jim
Waddick in starting this thread) in flower, but have seen its towering
capsules in winter and thought it was magnificent even then.
Dear John,
Me too. Since I collected seed they were past flowering, but
my imagination inspired me and they have lived up to their potential.
Iain, I wasn't at all familiar with the ssp microphyllum.
Seems like the sort of plant that should be in cultivation... Keep us
posted of your luck. Maybe Tony can look out for it while he's in
Taiwan.
I have to admit an aversion to L. formosanum pricei. When I
have seen this plant its inordinately short stature combined with
huge trumpet flowers seemed totally out of proportion: a travesty.
And as I recall var. pricei has only one or two flowers per stem
giving an all too short a bloom.
I suppose one 'good side' of living in a hellishly hot
climate is that viruses seem less pronounced here. I have never seen
the tell-tale streaking of virus on my plants, here. The warm days
AND nights (summer nights "cool" to 80 degrees F and sometimes higher
!) seem to suppress virus activity. So if the gardener can survive
the temps, the lilies thrive.
Glad to get so many good words on this underrated and less known lily.
Thanks to all for the input. Jim W.
--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +