While singing the praises of L. henryi, I have to chime in to say that I don't think they hold a candle to L. davidii , at least here in the Bay area. I got the L. henryi from a commercial US source and the other from China. The form of the flowers are similar but I find that L. davidii is much easier to grow, more robust, a more striking and floriferous bloom, etc. and seems less prone to disease. Paul Licht, Director University of California Botanical Garden 200 Centennial Drive Berkeley, CA 94720 (510)-643-8999 http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/ On 7/27/2010 8:01 AM, Jim McKenney wrote: > Jim Waddick, asking about Lilium rosthornii, wrote: " I wonder how widely > > this is grown. I got mine directly from China a few years ago and it > > has slowly developed into a few blooming stems." > > > > Every plant of Lilium rosthornii I've ever grown or seen strongly suggests a > run down Lilium henryi. > > > > For those of you who don't know Lilium henryi, let me point out a few of its > best qualities. It's easily grown, at its best it's extremely floriferous > (as in dozens of blooms per stem), it's tall (easily up to seven feet and > more), it's a great cut flower, it's lime tolerant, it thrives just about > wherever lilies are grown, it used to be called the orange speciosum because > the flowers look like those of L. speciosum, it blooms late in the lily > season and thus extends the season, it's readily available in the trade and > has been since it was first introduced in the late nineteenth century. It > has also played a central role in the development of some of the modern > super lilies. > > > > Yet with all of those good qualities, Lilium henryi is not a common garden > plant in my experience, even among lily enthusiasts. It’s the sort of plant > which can be planted in broad masses in low-maintenance public gardens with > every expectation that it will return yearly and get better in the process. > But have any of you ever seen it used that way? > > > > If the public will not take up Lilium henryi, I doubt very much that Lilium > rosthornii has much of a future as a garden plant outside the small circle > of “species” lily collectors. > > > > > > Jim McKenney > > jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com > > Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone > 7 > > My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ > > BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ > > > > Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS > > Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ > > > > Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >