LILIES - RHS Lily Group

LILIES 

and Related Plants 

75 TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE



2007-2008 

75 TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

Lilies and Related Plants 

Published by The Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group 

80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE, UK 

www.rhslilygroup.org 

Copyright © 2007 RHS Lily Group 

Text and illustration copyright © individual authors. 

ISBN 978-1-902896-84-7 

No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form, by any 

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any 

information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of 

the editor and author. 

Editor: Caroline Boisset 

St Olaves, 19 Woolley Street, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. BA15 1AD, UK 

Tel: +44 (0)1225 864808 e-mail: carolineboisset@btinternet.com 

Subscriptions and membership: 

Rose Voelcker, Langique, 32380 St Léonard, France 

Tel: ++(0)5 62 66 43 76 email: rvlangique@wanadoo.fr 

Typeset in Garamond and Frutiger by Rob Kirkham and 

printed at Four Way Print Limited, Launceston, Cornwall 

Opinions expressed by authors are not specifically 

endorsed by the RHS Lily Group. 

Front cover: Lilium ‘Apfelblüte’ is one of Heinz Boehm’s hybrids. He always 

wanted to breed a red trumpet... (see pp. 87-90) 

Back cover: Lilium lankongense was one of the key species used by 

Dr Christopher North in his breeding programme (see pp. 47-52). 

Here the species is growing in Pontus Wallstén’s parents’ garden 

in Switzerland (see pp. 58-67) 

Half title: Erythronium californicum showing the white anthers and 

slender filaments in Trinity County, California (see pp. 80-86) 

Committee members page: 

Lilium martagon growing on Baker’s Hill near The Wakes in 

Selborne, Hampshire where Gilbert White gardened. 

(see pp. 98-103)



2007-2008 

75 TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 

Editor 

Caroline Boisset 

The Royal Horticultural Society 

LILY GROUP

Royal 

Horticultural Society 

Lily Group 

HONORARY OFFICERS 2007 

Chair Dr Pat Huff 

+44 (0)20 7402 1401 

email: pat.huff@mbmc-crawfordstreet.co.uk 

Secretary Dr Clare Thornton-Wood 

Tel: +44 (0)1403 753077 

email: c.thortonwood@btinternet.com 

Treasurer D.S. Colin Pope 

email: ColinPope@AL86HW.fsnet.co.uk 

Membership Secretary Rose Voelcker 

Tel: + 33 (0)5 62 66 43 76 

email: rvlanjique@wanadoo.fr 

Seed Distribution Alan Hooker 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8554 2414 

email: alan.h2@tiscali.co.uk 

Yearbook Editor Caroline Boisset 

email: carolineboisset@btinternet.com 

Newsletter Editor Vacant 

Web Producer Jeff Coe 

email: webmaster@rhslilygroup.org 

Committee Alisdair Aird 

Chris Brickell CBE VMH 

Harris Howland 

Richard Hyde 

Nigel Rowland 

Dr Nuala Sterling CBE FRCP 

Tim Whiteley OBE VMM 

www.rhslilygroup.org

Contents 

Notes on Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 

From the Chairman 

by Pat Huff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 

Mrs D.A. Martyn Simmons (1912-2004) 

by Richard Dadd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 

The conservation of wild lily populations in Japan 

by Katsuro Arakawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14 

Derek B. Fox (1926-2007) 

by Roy Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-17 

The lilies of Greece 

by Arne Strid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-26 

Sir Peter Smithers (1913-2006) 

by Gian Lupo Osti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 

A brief history of the RHS Lily Committee 

by Brent Elliott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-35 

A review of English language Monographs on 

the genus Lilium 1873-2006 

by Cameron Carmichael. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35-46 

Chris North 

by Alan Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47-52 

A celebration of Branklyn Garden 

by Steve McNamara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53-55 

Dr A.F. Hayward (1933-2006) 

by Richard Dadd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-57 

Growing lilies in Switzerland 

by Pontus Wallstén . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58-67

Contents 

Alisdair Aird 

by Harris Howland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68-69 

On the road in search of lilies 

by Alan Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-79 

Erythronium 

by Brian Mathew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-86 

Trumpet lilies 

by Walter Erhardt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87-90 

A lilium delight – Downunder 

by Charles and Lee Reynolds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91-97 

The lilies of Gilbert White 

by Jeff Coe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98-103 

Liliaceous plants in the Nizhnekhopersky 

Nature Park, Russia 

by Vjacheslav Byalt and Gennady Firsov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-122 

The International Lily Registrar 

by Kate Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123-124 

★ ★ ★ 

About the RHS Lily Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127-129 

Picture credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 

Guidelines for authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

NOTES ON AUTHORS 

Katsuro Arakawa has been working at the headquarters of Sapporo Foundation for 

Greener Parks since 2006. He was the director of Yurigahara Park in Japan where he 

created the World Lily Gardens 1987-2005, founder member of the Lily Society in Japan 

and is a major contributor to the Lily Group seed distribution. He was awarded the Lyttel 

Cup in 1998. 

Vjacheslav Byalt, PhD, is a Senior Research Associate in the department of Vascular Plants 

in the Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Science. 

His main interests are plants of the family Crassulaceae and the flora of protected territories 

including the flora of the Khoper River and of the steppe zone of Russia. 

Cameron Carmichael is a retired professional horticulturist who gardens in 2 acres 

in central Scotland where he grows 3,500 different taxa including 100 lilies. He has a 

particular interest in garden plant conservation including old cultivars and is a member of 

the Plant Conservation Committee of the NCCPG. 

Roy Carter was friends with Derek Fox for nearly 40 years through their common interest 

in rhododendrons and camellias. He was Derek’s deputy chairman for the Essex Group 

of the NCCPG and succeeded him as Chairman in 1992. He took over coordinating the 

projected dispersed collections of Division 2 lilies (Lilium martagon and hybrids) and 

erythroniums when Derek became ill and has been a member of the Lily Group for just 

over ten years. 

Jeff Coe runs his own company working in asset and corporate finance specialising in IT 

and is a freelance web designer and was a professional athlete. Jeff was the Lily Group 

Newsletter Editor from 2003 until 2006 and is currently the Group’s Web Producer. He 

gardens in Hampshire by the sea just 20 miles south of Selborne. 

Richard Dadd has been a member of the Lily Group for over 40 years, and served on the 

Committee for 15 years of them, working closely with both the then Chairman, Dee Martyn 

Simmons and Editor of both the newsletter and yearbook, Tony Hayward. He is interested 

in a wide range of plants especially lilies and alliums. 

Kate Donald trained in horticulture at Wisley and the Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh. 

She was International Daffodil Registrar and Assistant Editor at the RHS and has recently 

been appointed International Lily Registrar. She is also an authority on pre 1930 daffodil 

cultivars and crofts on the west coast of Scotland. 

Brent Elliott, PhD, is the RHS Society’s Historian, having been Lindley Librarian for over 

25 years. 

Walter Erhardt is a teacher and horticultural author. He lives in Bavaria, Germany, and 

has for many years been interested in lilies and daylilies. He has written books about the 

genera Hemerocallis and Narcissus, but his most important works are The European Plant 

Finder and ZANDER- Dictionary of Plant Names. 

1

Gennady Firsov, PhD, is Senior Research Associate and curator of the arboretum and nursery 

at the botanic garden of the Komarov Botanical Institute. Born in stanitsa Kumilzhenskaya 

in the Volgograd region, he took part in the investigation of the flora of the area, and made 

recommendations for the creation of the Lower Choper Nature Park in 2003. He is a member 

of the IDS, of the British Conifer Society and of the Russian Botanical Society. 

Harris Howland has been interested in lilies for over 40 years and now maintains a 

relatively good collection of lilies and fritillaries. He has served on two occasions as 

chairman of the Lily Group and collaborated on the Gardeners’ Guide to Growing Lilies. 

Pat Huff, PhD, is Chairman of the Lily Group. An American living in Britain, she has 

responded enthusiastically to the horticultural opportunities presented by her adopted 

country. She gardens in Cambridgeshire and has special interests in species peonies and 

caudiciform succulents as well as lilies and fritillaries. She is Editor of Plant Heritage, the 

bulletin of the NCCPG, the Garden History Society News, and the Fritillaria Group Journal. 

Steve McNamara originally trained as an engineer, but after a long spell in hospital started to 

work in the London Parks Department and re-trained in horticulture starting with a City and 

Guilds in Amenity Horticulture and then at Kew. After living in Canada for 18 years he moved 

back to Britain to be Property Manager and Head Gardener at Branklyn near Perth where are 

held several National Collections including the Mylnefield Lily Collection. 

Brian Mathew, VMH was for 25 years, a taxonomic botanist in the Herbarium at the Royal 

Botanic Gardens, Kew, specialising in the petaloid monocotyledons. He is the author of 

many books on garden plants, in particular bulbous genera. 

Alan Mitchell is an optimistic amateur gardener with a passion for growing lilies who lives 

in Scotland. He finds their difficulty a challenge and their diversity and beauty endlessly 

engaging and therapeutic. 

Gian Lupo Osti is an Italian dendrologist and past President of the International 

Dendrology Society. He gardens in Northern Lazio on the hills overlooking Lake Bolsena; 

he is particularly interested in peonies. 

Charles and Lee Reynolds both served in the Australian Army. Lee joined the Education 

Corps and when she left became a Business Manager and Consultant. Charles has a degree 

in cello performance and after playing in the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra joined 

the Army as an Artillery Officer serving on several occasions overseas. He is now in the 

Reserves, and responsible for the entertainment taken to Australian forces overseas. 

Arne Strid is Director of the Göteborg Botanical Garden and has a particular interest in the 

flora of Greece and author of several books on the subject. 

Pontus Wallstén, is a student at the University of Westminster in London, where he studies 

Film and TV production. When he is not behind a camera, he can be found in his parents’ 

garden in Switzerland, taking care of his collections of rare plants from all around the 

world. The highlight of these collections are the lilies, which Pontus spends a lot of time 

photographing thereby combining his two main hobbies. 

2

From the Chairman 

Pat Huff writes an introduction to the Lily Group and 

its history in recent years. 

“Amateurs determined to grow even the 

apparently ungrowable” is the way Brent Elliott 

describes the membership of the Lily Group. 

His fascinating article (see pages 28-35) 

chronicles the Group’s inception in 1932 and 

its activities up until 1990, the beginning of the 

end of the twentieth century. Although there 

have been some fundamental changes over the 

Group’s 75 year history, Brent’s characterisation 

of our members is as true now as it ever was. 

Despite the presence of many professional 

gardeners and nurserymen amongst us, we are 

still all “amateurs” in the original sense: lovers of these beautiful, demanding and 

often exasperating plants. 

Taking up the history of the Group where Brent left off, Harris Howland was 

succeeded as Chairman of the Group by Tim Whiteley. Tim’s woodland garden 

on the Bucks/Northants border is one of the best places in England to see lilies. 

(And snowdrops. And woody plants, particularly the genus Euonymus.) His 

encyclopaedic knowledge of the genus combined with his experience as an 

RHS judge and his international contacts throughout the lily world ensured that 

the Group was always in touch with the latest developments in breeding and 

cultivation. 

Tim was Chairman when I joined the Committee in 1998. Although the 

founding members of the Lily Committee back in 1931 included such illustrious 

names as Frederick Stern, Arthur Grove and Amos Perry, at my first meeting I was 

in the company of the likes of Tim Whiteley, Harris Howland, Michael Upward 

and the late Derek Fox (see pp. 15-17). When I met him Derek had already 

published the indispensable Growing Lilies, and created the wonderful Bullwood 

hybrids such as ‘Lake Tahoe’ and ‘Lake Tulare’. These lovely lilies are now sadly 

rare in cultivation but incredibly sought after when they turn up in the trade or 

in the Group’s bulb auctions. Despite his immense prestige, Derek was funny, 

modest and very friendly to a newcomer. When I first joined the Committee, two 

other links to the Lily Group’s heroic past were also still around, and equally 

helpful. Dee Simmons (see pp. 5-8) and I spoke regularly on the phone, and I 

sat next to Bill Baker at the lunch celebrating Harris Howland’s being awarded 

3

the Lyttel Cup. When I mentioned that I liked fritillaries as well as lilies, he 

dropped his voice and whispered conspiratorially that he had always found 

them “drab, brown little things”. Although he was a skilled and enthusiastic lily 

hybridiser, Bill believed that such plants were destined to go out of cultivation 

sooner or later, so he only registered four of his many creations. After his death 

in 2001, the Group was given his lily library and collection of bulbs. Their 

sale led to the establishment of a Bill Baker Fund that goes to support notable 

achievements in the lily world. 

After Tim stepped down as Chairman of the Committee, Harris Howland was 

prevailed upon to take over once again. As well as having an expert’s eye for 

a good lily, Harris has a knack for strengthening the Committee. He persuaded 

Alisdair Aird to join, as well as nurserymen Richard Hyde and Nigel Rowland, 

and got Alan Hooker back again to do the seed distribution. For a number of 

years he and Colin Crosbie formed an irresistible double-act at the annual bulb 

auction. Under his leadership, the website started by Ian Boyd assumed even 

greater importance with Jeff Coe as webmaster. 

The biggest event of this period was undoubtedly the 2004 International Lily 

Conference, masterminded by Tim Whiteley and attended by dozens of members 

from all over the world. After days of fascinating lectures and garden visits, the 

conference culminated in a lily show at Wisley and a gala dinner where John 

Lykkegaard was awarded the Lyttel Cup. 

Today the Lily Group faces a number of challenges, some of them to its very 

identity. Brent reports that “in 1978 Council decided that the Committee should 

become semi-independent”, and we have remained that way ever since. The 

Society is now asking fundamental questions about how (and if) the Lily Group 

fits into its larger picture. Our “semi-independent” relationship is no longer 

tenable, and we must redefine it. The Committee is grappling with various 

possible outcomes, and was helped and encouraged by the frank exchange 

of views that took place at the 2007 AGM in Birmingham. Along with the 

challenges there is a plethora of exciting opportunities. E-mail allows us to keep 

in touch with an ever-increasing number of our members without depending on 

an expensive and unreliable postal service. The internet can be mined for the 

most extensive and arcane information on lilies. Plant breeders keep on coming 

up with ravishing new hybrids while there is simultaneously much greater 

awareness of the importance of keeping the older ones in cultivation. In 1932 

Frederick Stern said in Council that “there is no doubt that there is a want among 

members and the public to join some body devoted to lilies and their culture, 

where they can air their views and hear other views on their especial subject”. 

Seventy-five years on, it’s still true. 

4

Mrs D.A. Martyn Simmons 

Richard Dadd writes in appreciation of our late President, 

Mrs D.A. Martyn Simmons, who was an inspiration and driving force 

within the Lily Group for more than 30 years. 

RS D.A. MARTYN SIMMONS, who died at home on 17 November 2004 at the age 

Mof 

92, was one of the most outstanding lily growers in England during the 

second half of the last century. She joined the Lily Group Committee in 1963; 

was its Chairman from 1982 to 1990, and 1994 to 1995; and thereafter became 

President. She also served on RHS Floral Committee B (whose main remit was 

trees and shrubs) from 1965 to 1997. Her name will forever be associated with 

Quarry Wood, the large woodland garden in Burghclere where she cultivated 

lilies and many other plants from 1954 until her death. 

Mrs Simmons – Dee to all her friends – was born Daisy Adeline Halpin 

(her given names not always spelt thus) on 23 October 1912 in Janesboro, 

Co. Limerick (now in the Republic of Ireland) where her father was an engineer. 

She spent her childhood in Ireland where she acquired an interest in plants from 

her mother, but later moved with her family to the Southampton area. In 1939 

she married Martyn Alan Simmons, a miller and engineer. 

By the early 1950s Mr and Mrs Simmons were living near Newbury in Berkshire, 

but looking for a larger property. They found Quarry Wood, a large house and 

woodland garden of 15 acres, on the road to Winchester a few miles south of 

Newbury but just across the border in Hampshire. It had come onto the market 

following the sudden death of its owner, Walter Bentley, in April 1953. He had 

been a keen lily grower and one of the founder members of the Lily Group in 

1933. When he acquired Quarry Wood in 1934 it consisted ‘largely of an expanse 

of unkempt, rough grass, drifts of bracken and scarcely controlled weeds. It 

was bounded on east, west and south by neglected woodland, overrun with 

brambles and tangled undergrowth.’ In 19 years Mr Bentley had transformed 

this wilderness and planted magnolias, rhododendrons and many other trees and 

shrubs to create a haven for the rare species lilies that interested him. But nature 

is always keen to reassert herself, and with the property standing empty and 

neglected for over a year, and proving difficult to sell, it was going downhill. 

When Mr and Mrs Simmons purchased Quarry Wood in 1954 they were 

comparative novices, and had not quite realized what they were taking on. These 

difficulties were compounded by a series of bizarre events recounted by Anthony 

Hayward in ‘A Garden called Quarry Wood’ (Lilies & Related Plants, 1992-1993, 

pp. 133-138). The only ray of sunshine at this time was the arrival of west 

countryman Maurice Woodgates to take up the post of gardener. The subsequent 

5

Dee Simmons and her husband Martyn admiring an acer in the garden at 

Quarry Wood. 

partnership of Mrs Simmons and Mr Woodgates turned out to be a winning one: 

the garden once more became celebrated for its lilies, and Woodgates remained 

at Quarry Wood for the rest of his working life. 

Over the years Dee transformed herself from a beginner to an acclaimed 

expert: so much so that in 1963 she was fêted by the North American Lily Society 

(NALS) when she made a coast-to-coast trip in the USA. As well as taking in the 

6

21st Annual Show of the Garden Club of Virginia at Ashland, and the NALS 16th 

Annual Show at the National Arboretum in Washington (DC), she visited many of 

the great names in lily growing at that time and their gardens. At the NALS show 

she was delighted to meet many of her correspondents – ‘a happy experience to 

pin faces to names’ as she put it. Some of them would later visit Quarry Wood. 

She ended her journey in the Californian mountains looking at rare lilies in their 

natural habitat. Dee recalled it as a memorable trip, full of warmth and kindness. 

Dee was a charming and persuasive woman, warm and effusive, affectionate 

to those she took to; but her outgoing nature concealed an inner strength and 

determination – although she did not invariably get her own way. Remarkably, 

during the 40 years that I knew her she always had the zest and appearance of 

someone ten years younger. She was an enthusiastic networker, long before 

that term gained general currency, and had many contacts at home and abroad 

– particularly in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. 

Dee was catapulted into the chairmanship of the Lily Group Committee in 

1982 during the middle of a meeting, immediately following her predecessor’s 

resignation. Chairing meetings was not her forte, but she proved to be adept 

at spotting people with suitable talents, then recruiting and motivating them 

to help the cause of lilies in general and the Lily Group in particular. During 

her chairmanship she gathered about her a small nucleus of talented and hard 

working Committee members to put her ideas into effect: building up the Group 

by offering its members an extensive programme of lectures, shows and outings, 

attractive publications, and an internationally renowned seed distribution 

scheme. There were also several one-offs such as the distribution of the North 

lilies in 1985, and she also devised ways of improving the financial position of 

the Group. At Lily Group functions she was always highly visible, introducing 

herself and welcoming members – especially new ones. 

Throughout most of Mr and Mrs Simmons’ time at Quarry Wood the garden 

was open to visiting gardening groups. From time to time it also hosted 

international lily conferences and the Lily Group itself. Dee and her husband 

Martyn were generous hosts, and on such occasions a marquee would be erected 

on the spacious lawn to the south of the house where drinks and refreshments 

would be served. These gatherings were very popular, and guests were free to 

wander around the 15 acres of grounds whilst Maurice Woodgates was usually in 

attendance. The garden suffered terribly from the great storms of 1987 and 1990 

which felled many of the older trees. 

Dee’s later years were, inevitably, saddened by the passing of so many old 

friends. Her husband Martyn, who had been such a great support, died in 1999 

(Obituary, The Times, 21 June 1999) and Woodgates followed a few years later. 

Nevertheless, she continued defiantly to outface old age. 

7

But, now that she is gone, how should we remember her? – As a generous 

woman who loved lilies, loved people, and brought them together – a memory 

that will be cherished by those who knew her for as long as memory lasts. 

She is survived by her son, Anthony Martyn Simmons, and three 

grandchildren. 

Mrs Daisee Adelaine Martyn Simmons, plantswoman and lily grower 

Born 23 October 1912, died 17 November 2004 aged 92 

8 

★ ★ ★ 

Colonel Iain Ferguson was Chairman of the Lily Group from 

1978 until Mrs Simmons took over in 1982 and 

wrote the following tribute. 

During the 48 years that Sir Fred led the Lily Group he gathered 

around him the leading and most distinguished plantsmen of the 

day – even The President of the RHS was on his committee. When 

he, and most of his colleagues had gone, the Lily Group lost its very 

special position and became vulnerable. Oliver Wyatt, his successor 

and a friend of Dee’s, was a grower and hybridiser but no business 

man and no match for the RHS “money men”. When he was worn 

out the RHS appointed Frances Perry, a gardener and talented garden 

writer but too busy to have the Lily Group at the top of her agenda, 

particularly at a troubled time. It was Dee who stepped centre stage 

and who fired us all up with her infectious enthusiasm and her 

determination that the Lily Group would survive and flourish. She 

preferred to work from the position of Vice Chairman but there was 

never any doubt as to who the boss was. In 1982 she finally agreed 

to be Chairman which she should have done many years before. If 

Dee had not been there the Lily Group would have died in the mid 

1970s. It is for that, and her friendship and advice, that I shall always 

treasure her. 

Additional reference: 

Dee Simmons by David Parsons Lilies and Related Plants 1997-1998, (pp. 88-90).

The conservation of wild lily 

populations in Japan 

For many years Katsuro Arakawa has been a major donor to the 

Lily Group’s seed distribution scheme. Here, he describes the 

conservation work he is involved with in Japan. 

Y FIRST CONTACT with the RHS Lily Group was in the winter of 1989, when 

MI 

was building the collection of live lilies at Yurigahara Park in Sapporo. I 

remember my excitement at the inspiring present of goodly amount of various 

lily seeds from the Group’s seed distribution in the spring of 1990. 

I owe many salutary lessons to this seed exchange – and not just that, but it 

has also brought me new friends in diverse corners of the world. I have had great 

pleasure from imagining each person’s gardening life, from the letters and emails 

they send me. 

Since spring 1996, we have organised our own domestic seed distribution, 

here in Japan. And our own Lily Society has now been established, grown from 

the initial nucleus of lily lovers brought into contact with each other through our 

domestic seed distribution. Some members are on the staff of botanic gardens, 

in charge of their lily collections. Our seed distribution helps to avoid inbreeding 

problems such as loss of vigour, and is a valuable fallback resource if and when 

strains are accidentally lost. The same of course is true of the RHS Lily Group’s 

distribution, and seeds which we are able to supply to that distribution seem to 

play the same role. 

Our Lily Society prints The Lily Society News in spring and autumn, and organises 

a Lily Tour in the flowering season. We have visited the World Lily Gardens at 

Yurigahara Park, private lily breeders, agricultural institutes in Hokkaido, and the 

natural habitats of Lilium dauricum and L. japonicum. In 2006 the Lily Society 

held a programme of lily lectures to celebrate its fifth anniversary. 

We plan to hold such lectures every five years, and major topics for us will be 

the history of relationships between human beings and lilies, and the fragrance of 

lilies. It is 175 years since L. speciosum was taken back by Siebold and flowered 

for the first time in Europe. We have long been aware of the beauty of the 

lily’s form and colouring, and now find great value too in its fragrance. There 

is also growing interest in the importance of the fragrance to the relationship 

between the lily and its pollinators, and in its relevance to perfume manufacture. 

Fragrant lilies like L. alexandrae, L. auratum, L. japonicum, L. nobilissimum and 

L. rubellum are Japanese endemics. Adding L. longiflorum, six species out of 14 

native to Japan are fragrant. 

9

Lilium dauricum at Hamatonbetsu on the coast of the Okhotsk Sea in January 2005. 

Two lily species, L. dauricum and L. medeoloides, are present on Hokkaido, 

the second-largest island in the Japanese archipelago, which is where I live. Four 

species, L. auratum, L. japonicum, L. maculatum and L. rubellum, are endemic 

to Honshu, the largest island. Four other species – L. concolor, L. lancifolium, 

L. leichtlinii var. maximowiczii and L. medeoloides and L. speciosum – are also 

present or have in the past been recorded on Honshu, and L. callosum has been 

recorded from there, as well as from Kyushu, Shikoku and the Ryukyu Islands. 

Lilium concolor, L. leichtlinii var. maximowiczii, L. speciosum and L. japonicum 

notably the Hyuga form of L. japonicum are present on Kyushu, L. concolor, 

and L. leichtlinii var. maximowiczii and L. speciosum var. clivorum and some 

endemic L. japonicums on Shikoku. Lilium longiflorum is or was confined in 

the wild to the Ryukyu archipelago. Lilium alexandrae is endemic to just three 

islands of that archipelago, and L. nobilissimum has been limited to just one 

small southern island, Kuchinoshima. 

10

Lilium dauricum is mainly a coastal plant on Hokkaido. The bulbs establish 

their roots in coastal grassland or on shelves of the steep coastal cliffs. Lilium 

dauricum’s communities in coastal grasslands have been reduced by environmental 

effects, as their habitat has been altered by the installation of drainage systems for 

ranches, and/or by road building. Moreover, some populations are unable to selfpropagate 

well from seed, as the young roots of seedlings are prevented from 

working their way into the soil by a thick layer of grass thatch. This thatch is now 

thicker than in the past, as fewer horses are grazed on coastal grasslands, now 

that tractors are used instead. Another possible cause of decline in L. dauricum 

is a reduction in the number of its pollinators. It is suggested that the pollinators 

of L. dauricum are the largeish butterflies, Aporia crataegi (black-veined white) 

and Papilio machaon (swallowtail). Both eat each host plants in their caterpillar 

stage. Malus sieboldii (Japanese crabapple) and M. baccata var. mandshurica 

(a variety of Siberian crabapple) are the host plants of A. crataega; Glehnia 

littoralis (silvertop) is the host plant of P. machaon. In the past, good stands 

of these host plants were present near sites of L. dauricum. Now, however, 

the host plants have disappeared from some habitats. Malus sieboldii and M. 

baccata var. mandshurica have in some places been destroyed by controlled 

burning in early spring. The young shoots of G. littoralis were cleanly picked out 

as the ingredient of a seasonal salad. G. littoralis lived on the coast of Ishikari 

close to my residence, but is now absent around declining communities of the 

lily. Although G. littoralis still thrives bravely in the nature refuge ten kilometers 

away, pollinators cannot survive outside the refuge. 

In nature the range of L. dauricum was limited to coastlines and to some of 

the high mountains in Hokkaido. However, in the last 20 years this lily has been 

increasingly visible on roadside verges. As its distribution is expanded along 

roadsides in the high mountains, there is a fear that this artificial expansion of its 

distribution could contaminate relict communities. 

Villagers in most L. japonicum regions campaign actively for the protection 

of this lily. There are two motivations behind this. Many people are fired by 

nostalgia, wanting to recreate the view filled with L. japonicum in full flower, 

which villagers used to see as a matter of course every year in the old days. Others 

hope to boost their secluded mountain hamlets by attracting a lot of visitors to 

see a hillside full of L. japonicum in bloom. Both groups talk about how the lily 

has been declining. Conservation activists and the Environment Ministry allege 

that the decline is caused by collecting, but my own belief is that it is caused by 

lifestyle changes at these mountain village, and by forestry depression. 

Ishima, which I visited in 2004, is a small island nine and half a kilometers 

around, located east of Sikoku Island. Junior high school students here are 

absolutely committed to conserving communities of L. japonicum Ishima form. 

11

Above left, Lilium callosum var. flaviflorum at Yurigahara Park. The lily was 

collected on Okinawa Island and propagated by scaling. 

Above right, two different lilies share a niche together in the wild: 

L. callosum var. flaviflorum (right) and L. longiflorum (left). 

Their parents told me that the slope of island used to be turned pink by flowers 

of L. japonicum every early May when they were their children’s age. In those 

days the islanders all went up the mountain together each autumn, to clear-fell 

one evergreen forest plot for firewood for cooking. This worked on a 20-year 

rotation, taking 20 years to clear each plot in turn around the island. This system 

was environmentally optimum for the full life cycle of the lily, from germination 

to seed dispersal. But as bottled gas became common on the island the evergreen 

forests were neglected, bamboo thickets covered the hillsides, and L. japonicum 

rapidly lost its habitats. 

Hard-up junior high school students have still been able to collect reasonable 

numbers of flowering L. japonicum from the hillsides, and it’s been a tradition 

to sell these to the islanders, so as to help fund the school trip. This has been 

important for those old people who were unable to go to the hillside – they 

could enjoy the L. japonicum season with a vase of the flowers brought by the 

students. So in the hope of perpetuating L. japonicum, in gratitude for the lily’s 

beauty and to follow in the tradition, the island’s people now continue thinning 

and trimming in the dense jungle of evergreen broad-leaved forest, to promote 

the lily’s seeding and growth. 

When horses were kept as a source of power for cultivation, Miscanthus 

sinensis (Japanese silver grass) and Imperata cylindrica (cogon grass) growing 

on the slopes between the forest and the lowland fields were cleared out and 

used for litter, thatch and fodder. Trees and branches in the forest near human 

12

Top, Lilium japonicum Ishima form from the mountain slope of Ishima Island. 

Above left, L. nobilissimum in cultivation at Yurigahara Park. 

Above right, L. japonicum var. platyfolium seen in the wild at Tottori Hanakairo Park. 

settlements were regularly cut for the fuel. Now the grass is no longer cleared out 

of the grassland, as tractors need no litter or fodder; and the forest is untrimmed, 

now that rice is boiled on bottled gas cookers. So the areas of grassland and 

forest become darker and darker, impeding the growth of lilies and reducing 

their populations. 

Some lily populations have been reduced by plant collecting: L. japonicum 

13

var. abeanum is a case in point, or perhaps L. japonicum Hyuga form. Other 

lily communities have certainly been destroyed by developments such as dam 

construction, road building and estate development. However, it must have been 

often the case that habitats are dying through environmental changes such as 

those which result from failure to trim grassland and forestry in the old ways. It 

can be said that L. auratum, L. callosum, L. japonicum and L. rubellum are the 

species whose existence in Japan has been influenced most by human lives. 

The Okinawa population of Lilium callosum (a population known from its 

yellow flowers as var. flaviflorum) was rediscovered for the first time in these 

20 years. Yet it has already fallen victim to changing times, with changes in its 

habitat management. The island is in “Typhoon alley”, and the thatch which has 

been traditional for roofing material there has now given way to concrete. So 

grassland has been neglected, allowing over-abundant growth of Japanese silver 

grass over two metres in height, destroying almost all the lily’s habitats. On a visit 

last year we found just one population of 50 plants, where Imperata cylindrica 

grassland had been artificially weakened. As far as I know there is only one other 

population on the island now. 

Lilium nobilissimum was endemic to Kuchinoshima island, Kagoshima 

Prefecture, where its habitat was restricted to the ocean cliff. Lilium nobilissimum’s 

Japanese name is Tamoto-yuri: Tamoto is the pouch-forming sleeve of Japanese 

clothing, and in the past men lowered on a bamboo contraption slung from the 

cliff-top to gathered the bulbs of the lily kept them in this pouch. This precarious 

undertaking seems to have been all too successful: the lily is said to be extinct 

in the wild now. A few cultivated plants preserve the species. However, in our 

Yurigahara Park collection this lily’s germination rate has now declined to about 

20%, which I think must be caused by inbreeding depression. Although we will 

outbreed the strain with another strain next summer, I am not very hopeful for 

the future, over the next several generations. [Editor’s note: This lily is also in 

cultivation in the UK, and perhaps elsewhere, but from seed kindly donated 

to the Lily Group distribution by Mr Arakawa in the past, so these plants are 

unlikely to help with the inbreeding problem.] 

Lilium alexandrae ranges over three islands of this same southern chain. 

Though it has been reduced by collection, it is sustained in the wild by the 

islander’s keen conservation work. 

The only surviving habitats of L. concolor are now confined to Shikoku Island, 

and the wild population declines. 

Lilium longiflorum, L. leichtlinii var. maximowiczii, L. speciosum, L. maculatum 

and L. medeoloides are common lilies in their original habitats, through exemplary 

preservation and conservation – a textbook case. 

14

Derek B. Fox 1926 – 2007 

Roy Carter writes in tribute to one of the outstanding lily breeders 

of last century, Editor of the Bulletin (1981 & 1982) and key member 

for many years of the Lily Committee. 

EREK WAS BORN in Thorpe Bay, Essex in April 1926 and at an early age showed 

Da 

keen interest in nature, an interest which was to remain with him all 

his life. In 1957 Derek and his wife Elizabeth (Betty), purchased a one acre 

overgrown plot on the edge of Hockley Woods just a few miles from where he 

was born. Here Derek and Betty created a woodland garden which, over the 

years came to be enjoyed by their many visitors. Being an acid soil the first 

choice of plants were those of the Ericaceae and he assembled collections of 

camellia, magnolia and rhododendron species and hybrids which, together with 

many exotic trees formed the structure which was to become home of the many 

plants of the Liliaceae family he grew. 

Derek was particularly successful, despite the low Essex rainfall, in growing 

some of the large leaved rhododendrons such as Rhododendron eximeum, R. 

macabeanum and R. grande. Over the years he made many rhododendron and 

camellia crosses, the result of one such camellia cross being named ‘Betty Fox’ 

after his wife. 

However, Derek’s main love were his lilies. In the early to mid 1960s he began 

a hybridising programme using lily species found growing on the west coast of 

the United States of America resulting in the creation of the Bullwood Hybrids. 

His many creations such as ‘Lake Tulare’, ‘Lake Tahoe’ and ‘Coachella’ to name 

but a few, are still prized and sought after today, although rare in cultivation. 

15

Two of Derek Fox’s lily cultivars: above ‘Lake Tahoe’ and below, ‘Lake Tulare’. 

Recently members of the RHS Lily 

Group instigated a conservation project 

to save these magnificent plants. 

Derek was a person very much 

involved at all levels in promoting the 

growing of lilies, being a former editor 

of the Lily Year Books and a regular 

contributor to both them and to those 

of the North American Lily Society. He 

also authored the RHS Wisley Handbook 

on lilies and in 1985 his monograph 

Growing lilies was published – a work 

still relevant today and sought after by 

would be lily growers. 

He served for many years on the 

RHS Lily Group committee and was 

awarded the Lily Cup; also the Lyttel Cup for his work in connection with the 

genus. In 2002 he was honoured by the North American Lily Society by being 

awarded the E.H. Wilson medal. The citation read: ‘In recognition of his life-long 

devotion to lilies’. 

Derek was also a founder member of the National Council for the Conservation 

of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG) Essex Group and became its first Chairman on 

16

Two more Bullwood Hybrids: above, ‘Coachella’ and below, ‘Rosewood’. 

its inauguration in 1980, a position he 

held until his retirement from office in 

1992. His guidance and commitment 

to the Essex Group continued by 

promoting and supporting the aims of 

the charity, and also by opening his 

garden through the National Gardens 

Scheme. He was instrumental in 

proposing that the Essex Group hold 

dispersed National Collections of 

Lilium martagon and its Division II 

hybrids and that of Erythronium – a 

work still in progress. 

He travelled widely in Europe, 

North America, the Baikal region of 

Central Asia and Nepal. Always, where 

possible, collecting plants or seeds which he generously distributed amongst his 

friends around the world. Derek had a great love of all plants and was a great 

plantsman. Derek will be missed by all who knew him for his generosity in gifts 

of plants and seeds, his willingness to offer help and share his knowledge with 

others, for his ready smile and great sense of humour, but the legacy of his plant 

creations will, hopefully, live on. 

17

18 

The lilies of Greece 

Arne Strid writes about the five species endemic to this ancient land. 

HE GENUS LILIUM is represented by five species within the borders of present- 

Tday 

Greece, but probably only two of them were known in antiquity. The 

famous “lilies” of Minoan wall paintings in Crete and Santorin (Thira) are not lilies 

as currently understood, but represent the sea daffodil, Pancratium maritimum 

(Amaryllidaceae), a species of sandy beaches still widespread throughout Greece 

although declining through development of tourist facilities. 

Plant names used by Theophrastos (c. 370-285 B.C.) are often difficult to 

interpret, but it seems fairly certain that κρι´νον (krinon) refers to the white 

Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum). Κρι´νον το πορφυρου´ν (krinon to porfiroun) 

may refer to the scarlet Lilium chalcedonicum which occurs in mountains of 

the Peloponnese and Sterea Ellas, including Parnes or Parnitha near Athens, 

and may well have been known to Theophrastos. Ημεροκαλλζς (imerokalles) 

has been interpreted as Lilium martagon but this seems more doubtful both 

for etymological reasons and for the fact that the latter occurs mainly in the 

northern parts of modern Greece, reaching its southern limit in Parnassos and 

other mountains of central Sterea Ellas. 

Modern botanical exploration of Greece started with John Sibthorp (1758- 

1796) who on his grand tour in 1786-1787 and on a subsequent tour in 1794 

gathered the material for the magnificent Flora Graeca, which appeared in ten 

folio volumes in 1806-1840, i.e., long after the death of Sibthorp. Flora Graeca 

contains 966 hand-coloured copper engravings based on drawings made in the 

field by the artist Ferdinand Bauer who had travelled with Sibthorp – alas, not a 

single lily. 

Flora Graeca was preceded by an octavo work without illustrations, the Florae 

Graecae Prodromus (1806-1816), which amounts to a comprehensive Flora of the 

areas visited by Sibthorp, i.e. southern parts of present-day Greece and coastal 

regions of western Anatolia as well as Cyprus. Three lilies are mentioned in 

the Prodromus, viz. Lilium candidum, L. chalcedonicum and L. martagon. All 

three had been known to Linnaeus who in Species Plantarum (1753) cited them 

from “Palaestina, Syria”, from “Persia” [probably in error], and from “Hungaria, 

Helvetia, Sibiria, Lipsiae”, respectively. 

In the Prodromus geographical information for Lilium candidum reads: “In 

Tempis Thessaliae. D. Hawkins. In hortis Graeciae frequens. Sibth.”. Apparently, 

John Hawkins, another wealthy English gentleman who had travelled in Greece 

partly together with Sibthorp and partly on his own, had observed this species 

growing in the Tembi valley in Thessaly (just south of Mount Olympus) whereas

Sibthorp knew it only from cultivation. Hawkins made several other remarkable 

discoveries. For instance, he was the first to observe the horse chestnut, Aesculus 

hippocastanum, growing wild in the same general area. At that time it was already 

known in cultivation in central Europe, having presumably been introduced via 

Istanbul, but its native distribution is restricted to a rather small area in Greece 

and southern Albania. Lilium chalcedonicum was reported from “montis Parnassi 

sylvosis, et in insulâ Zacyntho” (the latter certainly in error), whereas L. martagon 

was said to grow “in montosis umbrosis Graeciae” without further specification. 

In Conspectus Florae Graecae (1904) – still the latest comprehensive Flora 

of Greece – Eugen von Halácsy listed Lilium chalcedonicum and L. martagon 

from several localities in the mountains of Sterea Ellas and Thessaly, and a new 

species, L. heldreichii, was added. The latter had been described by Freyn in 1880 

from Mt Parnitha (Parnes) in Attica and was said to differ from L. chalcedonicum 

in the broader leaves and 1-flowered stem. As we shall see, however, the latter 

shows considerable variation according to the habitat and it is almost certain the 

L. heldreichii is nothing but a depauperate form of L. chalcedonicum. The white 

madonna lily, Lilium candidum, was reported “in rupestribus regionis montanae” 

as well as “frequenter colitur quoque in hortis”, indicating that it grows wild 

in the mountains and is also frequently cultivated. Finally, an interesting new 

species was added: Lilium albanicum, collected on Mount Smolikas in Epirus by 

the Italian botanist Antonio Baldacci. This species had been described already by 

August Grisebach in 1846, based on his own collection in 1839 from Scardus or 

Šar Planina, a large mountain range on the present border between Macedonia 

and Kosovo. It is a relatively small, early-flowering species with deep yellow 

flowers, growing in meadows at high altitude on non-calcareous substrate. 

A distinct new species, Lilium rhodopeum, was described as late as 1952 by 

the Bulgarian botanist Dimiter Delipavlov. It was reported from the Bulgarian 

side of the Rodhopi mountains and has subsequently been found also south of 

the border, growing in damp meadows at an altitude of 1300-1800m. It has a very 

restricted distribution and in rarely seen in cultivation. 

The five Greek species can be keyed out as follows: 

1. Lower and middle leaves in whorls of 5-10. 

Buds more of less lanate to villous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. L. martagon 

– All leaves alternate. Buds glabrous or puberulent . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 

2. Flowers yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. 

– Flowers white or scarlet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. 

key continued overleaf 

19

The five lilies of Greece. A: Lilium albanicum, B: L. candidum, C: L. martagon, 

D: L. chalcedonicum, E: L. rhodopeum. 

20 

3. Perianth segments 8-12 cm, moderately recurved 

from a slender base, lemon yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. L. rhodopeum 

– Perianth segments 3-4 cm, strongly recoiled, 

deep yellow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. L. albanicum 

4. Perianth segments white, only slightly recurved. 

Inflorescence raceme-like. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. L. candidum 

– Perianth segments scarlet, distinctly recurved. 

Inflorescence umbel-like or flower solitary . . . . .4. L. chalcedonicum 

1. Lilium albanicum 

This is a member of the L. carniolicum complex, and is sometimes regarded 

as a subspecies or variety of the latter. Taken in a wide sense L. carniolicum 

extends from the SE Alps through mountains of the Balkan Peninsula southwards 

to the Pindos, with closely related taxa in NE Anatolia and the Caucasus. Greek 

Photos not to scale

material is relatively uniform and matches 

L. albanicum, which is also found in 

Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. Closely 

related taxa, often treated as subspecies 

of L. carniolicum, occur elsewhere in 

the Balkan Peninsula. L. carniolicum 

subsp. jankae has recently been reported 

from Mt Voras (Kajmakč alan), but a photo 

accompanying the report (in the Greek 

journal Fisis 109: 20, 2005) clearly shows 

a rich-flowered form of L. albanicum. The 

latter had in fact been collected on Mt 

Voras (probably just north of the present 

border) already in 1893 by the Austrian 

botanist Ignatz Dörfler. Lilium jankae 

(L. carniolicum subsp. jankae) is a more 

robust plant with larger and somewhat paler 

flowers, occurring, e.g., on Mount Vitosha 

near Sofia. Plants from the Greek side of 

Mt Belles (the two dots in the north-eastern 

Lilium albanicum on Mt Gramos, 

alpine grassland over schist near the 

war memorial above Aetomilitsa, 

28 June, 2004. 

part of the map see pp. 25) are somewhat intermediate between L. albanicum and 

L. jankae, but closer to the former. 

Characteristic features of L. albanicum are the relatively small size (25-40 cm 

tall), 2-4 or occasionally up to 9 deep yellow flowers only 3-4 cm wide, with 

distinctly recoiled, deep yellow, unspotted tepals. It grows in damp meadows 

on non-calcareous substrates (serpentine, schist or granite) at high altitudes, 

generally 1600-2100 m, and flowers relatively early, from mid-June to mid-July. 

In cultivation in southern Scandinavia it flowers in the end of May and beginning 

of June. It is relatively easy to establish but seems difficult to keep for any length 

of time, being susceptible to diseases. 

2. Lilium candidum 

The well known white lily or Madonna Lily has been cultivated in the eastern 

Mediterranean area since antiquity. In Christianity it became a symbol of purity 

associated with the Virgin Mary, it was widely grown in monasteries and is a 

common motif in religious art. In addition to its ornamental and symbolic value 

it had reputed cosmetic and medicinal properties. From Britain it is mentioned 

as early as the seventh century A.D., and it features in the plays of Shakespeare, 

apparently being a well known plant at that time. It is hardy as far north as 

southern Scandinavia. 

21

The natural distribution of Lilium candidum is probably Greece (maybe 

extending somewhat further north in the Balkan Peninsula), SW and S Anatolia, 

Syria, Lebanon and Palestine (see pp. 25). It is found in macchie, phrygana and 

on rock ledges, often on limestone and generally at altitudes of 100-1200m, 

flowering in May and early June. 

For several reports of Lilium candidum it is difficult to assess whether they 

refer to native or naturalised plants. It is not unusual to see the species in the 

outskirts of villages where it clearly subsists from former cultivation, but there 

are also populations that appear to be wild. I have seen it on rock ledges rather 

far from habitations, e.g., NW of the village of Driopi in NE Peloponnese and on 

Mt Orliakas in northern Pindos. A large population grows in phrygana by Pirgos 

Dirou in the Mani Peninsula (S Peloponnese), and there are also reports from 

Monemvassia and Mt Arachneo. In north central and north western Greece there 

appear to be native populations at least on Mt Vourinos, near Konitsa and near 

Kastoria. Native status on the Aegean islands is more doubtful. 

Lilium candidum is easily recognised on the large, snow-white flowers which 

are generally borne 5-9 in a short raceme. The tepals are only slightly recurved. 

Sfikas (Fisis 42: 31, 1988) has pointed out that cultivated Greek plants tend 

to be taller and stouter than the wild ones with basal leaves appearing in the 

autumn rather than in the spring. With such a long history of cultivation there 

has undoubtedly been some selection, and a detailed study of variation in Greece 

and elsewhere in the presumably native area would be of interest. 

3. Lilium martagon 

It cannot be established with certainty whether the Martagon Lily was known to 

the ancient authors. In his book Paradisus Terrestris (1629) the London apothecary 

John Parkinson undoubtedly refers to Lilium martagon when speaking about 

“those kindes of Lillies, which carry diuers circles of greene leaues set together 

at certaine distances, round about the stalke”. In Germany where the species 

is native it was mentioned by Leonhart Fuchs (1542) and possibly earlier. In 

Denmark and southern Sweden it is known in cultivation at least since the late 

seventeeth century, having probably been introduced from central European 

stock and now naturalised, sometimes in large quantity, in old parks around 

mansion houses. In modern times it has become a well known garden plant with 

several commercial varieties. 

In Greece the distribution of Lilium martagon follows the mountains 

southwards to Parnassos in Sterea Ellas (see pp. 24). This is part of a large total 

range extending from Spain and France to western Siberia. In Greece it is a 

species of somewhat damp, semi-shaded places in deciduous woods, bracken 

thickets and meadows, generally between 700 and 1800 m, flowering from mid- 

22

June to the end of July. 

Lilium martagon is easily recognised by the whorled lower and middle leaves 

and the rather numerous flowers borne in an extended raceme. Plants from 

central Europe have pale, usually spotted flowers and glabrous buds. Many of 

the Greek plants have rather dark flowers which are either uniformly brownishpurple 

or have indistinct raised spots; the flower buds are lanate, i.e., have 

long soft woolly hairs. Such plants have been called var. cattaniae or var. 

sanguineo-purpureum, but it is not clear whether all Greek plants share these 

features. Observations on variation in and between the Greek populations would 

be welcome. 

4. Lilium chalcedonicum 

The native distribution of this bright scarlet lily is probably restricted to Greece 

and S Albania, although species with a similar flower colour occur elsewhere, e.g. 

L. pomponium in the Maritime Alps (see pp. 24). Being a spectacular species it was 

taken into cultivation early, and pictures undoubtedly showing L. chalcedonicum 

appear in German Kräuterbücher from the sixteenth and seventeenth century; it 

is likely to have come to central Europe via Turkey. 

Lilium chalcedonicum occurs in somewhat damp, semi-shaded, rocky places 

in open deciduous woods, Buxus scrub and meadows, generally between 

600 and 1700 m and usually on limestone. It is rarely found in large quantity 

except maybe on Mt Iti in Sterea Ellas where I have observed large and healthy 

populations. It flowers late, generally from mid-July to mid-August. The tepals are 

generally bright and uniformly scarlet and strongly recurved with long papillae 

towards the base; also the anthers are bright scarlet. Slightly paler forms with 

indistinct spots are found occasionally. 

Some authors including Halácsy (Conspectus Florae Graecae) and Hayek 

(Prodromus Florae Peninsulae Balcanicae) have regarded Lilium heldreichii as 

specifically distinct from L. chalcedonicum, differing in the consistently 1-flowered 

stem, lower leaves less crowded and wider, and leaves abruptly decreasing in 

size up the stem. Differences have also been cited in shape of bulb scales and 

stigma. Turrill (Lily Year Book 17: 34-36, 1954) examined fairly abundant material 

and came to the conclusion that there are no consistent differences. Having 

studied plants both in the field and in cultivation I fully agree with this view. 

In nature L. chalcedonicum is generally 35-70 cm tall and has 1-3 or occasionally 

up to 4 flowers. Transplanted into good garden soil and grown in semi-shade 

they may be around 100 cm tall and develop up to 12 flowers. Three bulbs 

were transplanted from a population on Mt Olympus in 1975 to the Copenhagen 

Botanical Garden and subsequently to my private garden north of Copenhagen 

where they were grown successfully for 25 years. The bulbs could be divided 

23

Right, Lilium chalcedonicum, 

individual with 10 flowers 

grown in the author’s private 

garden in Denmark, originally 

from Mt Olympus. 

1st August, 1980. 

every three years, and hundreds 

of plants are now in cultivation 

from this introduction. They 

are fully hardy and cultivation 

is not difficult although it may 

be necessary to watch out for lily beetles. Peak flowering is usually around 

1 August, and because of the late flowering seeds are not always produced. 

5. Lilium rhodopeum 

This is the rarest and least known of the Greek lilies. It was first discovered in 1951 

in the Rodhopi mountains of southern Bulgaria and described in the following 

year. It has subsequently been found in a few more localities in this area as well 

as south of the border, growing in secondary pastures in clearings of coniferous 

or beech forest at altitudes between 1200 and 1800 m (see pp.25). It is a stout 

plant, 40-90 cm tall, appearing from a large bulb with plump whitish scales. The 

stem is covered with scattered lanceolate leaves almost up to the flowers. The 

latter are conspicuously large (8-14 cm in diameter) with a long slender base and 

Lilium Distribution martagon of 

Distribution of 

Lilium chalcedonicum 

Lilium martagon 


24

Distribution of Lilium candidum 

as currently registered in the Flora 

Hellenica Database. Most records 

refer to plants naturalised near 

villages, but some of the mountain 

populations appear to be native. 

Lilium albanicum Distribution of 

(L. carniolicum Lilium albanicum subsp. albanicum) 

(L. carniolicum subsp. albanicum) 

Distribution of 

Lilium rhodopeum 

Lilium rhodopeum 

25

gracefully curved, bright lemon yellow, unspotted tepals without papillae. The 

stamens may vary from brownish-orange to bright red. 

Even the largest populations of this species comprise only a few hundred 

individuals. There seems to be some natural variation in the number of flowers, 

some populations usually being 1-flowered and others regularly having 3-5 or even 

up to 7 flowers. The species is somewhat similar to L. jankae, but not likely to be 

closely related. The closest relative is rather L. monadelphum from the Caucasus. 

Lilium rhodopeum is rare in cultivation and appears to be difficult, although I 

have seen it grown successfully and in considerable quantity by a forest station 

in the Greek part of the Rodhopi mountains. Two bulbs transplanted in 1981 to 

my private garden north of Copenhagen were grown for several years; one of 

them regularly produced a single flower per year but did not divide, whereas 

the other mostly produced only a vegetative stem. They have subsequently 

been propagated from bulb scales and plants have been established both in 

Copenhagen and in the Göteborg Botanical Garden. Cross pollination has 

recently resulted in development of a few capsules and we hope to be able to 

distribute seeds to other growers, thus securing the survival of this spectacular 

species in cultivation. 

★ ★ ★ 

26 

Sir Peter Smithers 1913-2006 

In 2001 Sir Peter Smithers was awarded the Lyttel Cup and 

Jim Gardiner wrote in Lilies and Related Plants of his contribution to 

horticulture and the world of lilies. Sir Peter introduced two exceptional 

lily cultivars ‘Vico Queen’ and ‘Arthur Grove’ and described them 

himself in the 1997-1998 yearbook. Here, Gian Lupo Osti writes a 

personal tribute to this great man. 

IR PETER SMITHERS DIED SERENELY on 8 June 2006 at the age of 92, at his house, 

SVico 

Morcote on Lake Lugano. It was a bright early summer day. 

In Sir Peter’s book The Adventures of a Gardener, making reference to Joseph 

Addison1 , he wrote “it would be nice to end life surrounded by the beauty which 

is my garden …….As long as memory lasts my garden will remain with me, 

like my own past life, a delightful dream which once I dreamed here on this 

mountainside.” So this wish is how it happened. 

Sir Peter’s life was always varied and throughout it he had a grandstand 

1 Joseph Addison was the essayist and poet, who died in June 1719, on whom Sir Peter 

published a life, for which he was awarded a DPhil by Oxford University.

view of the world’s events. 

During World War 2, he was 

in naval intelligence, alongside 

Commander Ian Fleming, later 

author of the James Bond series, 

where he helped provide the 

model for 007. This justifies 

the witticism that was current 

between his friends, “but are you 

more greenfinger or Goldfinger? ” 

After naval intelligence he 

was diplomat, Tory MP, Under 

Secretary of State, and, lastly, 

Secretary General of the Council 

of Europe. He was a passionate 

European along the lines 

expressed by Winston Churchill, 

but his opinions clashed with 

those of Anthony Eden. 

He found comfort away from 

his political life in gardening. 

Sir Peter and Lady Smithers 

at Vico Morcote in October 2001 

A keen interest in plants and gardens was always a constant in his life since 

his school days. Everywhere he went, in Washington, Mexico, Winchester, 

Strasbourg, and finally in Vico Morcote he gardened. In Vico Morcote he created 

a small eco-system of magnolias, peonies, rhododendrons, wisterias, lilies and 

countless magnificent plants. 

I met Peter for the first time, 30 years ago; I desired to know more about 

peonies than I could find at that time in books which were scarce and dated from 

the beginning of the [twentieth] century. A mutual British friend said to me “but 

there is Smithers who knows everything about peonies”! 

He became my Mentor in the world of peonies but not only that. As a gift for 

his 90 th birthday I translated into Italian his book The adventures of a gardener 

and with some friends we succeeded in publishing it: he was really enthusiastic 

about it. 

Sir Peter Smithers gardened for nearly 80 years. He made remarkable gardens 

in Hampshire, Mexico, Strasbourg, Lugano and West Palm Beach. He grew an 

impressively wide range of genera, he collected extensively and bred many new 

plants. 

I mourn a friend, a great gardener and, without rhetoric, a master of living 

– we say in Italy, magister vitae. 

27

28 

A brief history of the 

RHS Lily Committee 

In an article first published in Lilies and Related Plants 1992-1993 

Brent Elliott describes how the Lily Group came into being. 

(with additional material by Anthony Hayward) 

N 5 NOVEMBER 1931 Colonel Durham, the Secretary of the Royal Horticultural 

OSociety, 

wrote to 15 noted lily growers that “The Council of the Royal 

Horticultural Society has under consideration the formation of a standing 

committee for Lilies on the same lines as the existing Narcissus and Tulip 

Committee”, and invited them to a meeting on the 17th to discuss the matter. 

Those assembled at the meeting unanimously agreed that it was a good idea to 

form such a committee, and that its scope should be limited “for the present” to 

“Lilies, nomocharis, fritillaries and their hybrids”. The activities of the Committee 

were to include arranging lectures and a conference, maintaining a collection of 

lilies at Wisley, publishing a year-book, and compiling a register of hybrids. 

Who were the founding members of the Lily Committee? 

First and foremost, Col. F.C. (later Sir Frederick) Stern, banker, soldier and gardener 

of Highdown, Sussex, who appears to have been the initiator of the idea in Council 

and who was unanimously chosen to be the first Chairman, and in addition: 

Maurice Amsler, medical officer to Eton College, 

Roger Bevan of Crowsley Grange, 

J. Comber, head gardener at Nymans, 

John Coutts, then Deputy Curator at Kew and soon to be 

co-author of ‘Lilies’ 1 , 

W.A. Constable of Paddock Wood nurseryman (shortly to transfer his 

business to Tunbridge Wells), 

William Cuthbertson of Dobbies’ Nurseries (elected a Vice- Chairman), 

Arthur Grove, complier of the Supplement of Elwes’ Monograph of the 

Genus Lilium (also a Vice-Chairman), 

Captain J.C.H. Jenkinson of Knap Hill Nurseries, 

Sir William Lawrence, former Treasurer of the RHS, 

Albert Pam of Wormleybury, 

1 The RHS Lindley Library possesses Fred Stoker’s review copy of Woodcock and Coutts’ 

‘Lilies’, the title page of which Stocker annotated as follows: “nominally by H. Drysdale 

Woodcock KC and J. Coutts VMH….but principally by W.T. STEARN whose text I have 

read in great part”.

Amos Perry, the Enfield nurseryman, 

G.M. Taylor of Dobbies and R. W. Wallace whose bulb nursery at Tunbridge 

Wells was one day to amalgamate with Barr’s. 

The names of some additional members were chosen at that first meeting: Sir 

William Wright Smith of the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden; the plant collector 

W.R. Price; C.H. Curtis, editor of Gardeners’ Chronicle; Fred Stoker, future author 

of ‘A Book of Lilies’; R.D. Trotter the RHS Treasurer, and a number of amateur 

lily growers – Lt-Col. George Napier; the stockbroker Paul Rosenheim; C. R. 

Scrase-Dickens of Coolhurst; Mark Fenwick of Abbotswood; Andrew Harley of 

Glendevon; Robert James of St Nicholas; Lawrence Johnson of Hidcote and H.D. 

McLaren (later Lord Aberconway) of Bodnant. Council added the names of the 

garden designer George Dillistone and George Yeld, the York schoolmaster, who 

had been the first President of the Iris Society. The name of Arthur D. Cotton, 

who was to succeed Grove as a compiler of the Supplement to Elwes, was 

not mentioned at the first meeting but he was present at the second one. The 

Committee’s size was fixed at not more than forty. 

Such then was the initial membership of the RHS Lily Committee. The 

Committee recommended that ‘in order to widen the influence of the Committee’, 

some Corresponding Members be added to its number (Council put its foot 

down about the co-options and insisted that the term ‘Overseas and Foreign 

Correspondents’ be used). There are some discrepancies between the list 

suggested in the Committee minutes and that eventually published in the 1932 

Year Book; here follow all the names, suggested or final: 

Canada . . . . . . . . . .Isabella Preston of the Ottawa Experimental Farm. 

USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . T.A. Havemayer of the Horticultural Society of New York, 

W.E. Marshall, author of ‘Consider the Lilies’, David Griffiths 

of the USDA Bureau of Plant Industry, Carl Purdy, Dr A.M. 

Vollmer, William Craig of Boston and A.B. Stout of the New 

York Botanic Garden. 

France. . . . . . . . . . .E. Debras and the Abbé Souillet. 

The Netherlands . .J. Hoog of Van Tubergen’s Nurseries and Ernst Krelage. 

Germany . . . . . . . . Alfred Unger of Heidelberg and W. Kesselring of the Darmstadt 

Botanic Garden. 

Austria . . . . . . . . . .Dr F. Lemperg. 

Bulgaria . . . . . . . . . Professor Stoyanoff of Sofia University (The name of Kellerer, 

head gardener at the Sofia palace, was also suggested and in 

1936 Wilhelm Schacht, presumably Kellerer’s successor, was 

invited instead.). 

29

Greece . . . . . . . . . . S.C. Atchley of the British Legation in Athens, future author of 

‘Wild Flowers of Attica’. 

India . . . . . . . . . . . . E.P. Long, Superintendent of the Government Gardens at 

Simla and Delhi and C.C. Calder, Director of the Botanical Survey 

of India. 

And, in a category that would best be described as peripatetic, the famous plant 

collectors George Forrest and Frank Kingdon Ward. 

The first regular meeting of the Lily Committee was held on 11 January 1932. The 

two most important subjects of discussion were the Lily Conference, scheduled 

for 1933, and the contents of the first Lily Year Book. Among the proposed 

contents were articles on the garden cultivation of each of the three relevant 

genera, on commercial lily growing and on a lily disease; a bibliography of the 

three genera (which dwindled, in the event, to a list of books in the Lindley 

Library – the comprehensiveness of which can be gathered from the fact that it 

omitted Redouté’s Liliacées); and a particularly ambitious project, ‘A list of species 

of Lilium, Nomocharis and Fritillaria having against each species (i) a reference 

to a description, (ii) a reference to an authentic plate, if one exists, (iii) the habitat, 

it being indicated throughout whether the plates are coloured or not and whether 

the works concerned are in the Lindley Library’. This one also dwindled as what 

appeared in the Lily Year Book was a list of illustrations of lily species. The Year 

Book was eventually published on October 1932 and by 22 nd November it had sold 

531 copies – and nearly double that by the following March. 

Two sub-Committees were set up to prepare for the Conference; one for 

exhibition and one to commission the papers to be presented. The most important 

of these were Krelage’s historical article on the early distribution of lilies in 

Europe and Daniel Hall’s article ‘A Survey of Lily Soils’ (written in collaboration 

with M.A.H. Tinker). The Lily Conference was held on 11 to 13 July 1933. Ellen 

Willmott reviewed it for the Gardeners’ Chronicle, quoting the Abbé Souillet: 

“He cannot understand how England could ever have been called perfide Albion, 

as he found it the reverse. He was amazed by the magnificent display of lilies in 

the hall…Were it not that the Lily Week had made such an indelible impression 

he would have thought it the ‘dream of a Terrestrial Paradise’.” 

The schedule for the competitive classes for the 1932 Conference show is of 

interest, particularly in contrast to the present status of lilies at RHS shows. In 

fact the competitive element has all but disappeared from exhibits of lilies in the 

United Kingdom although it has become dominant in the shows of our friends 

in the lily world overseas, particularly in North America, Australia, New Zealand 

and Europe. 

30

The 1932 Conference Show Schedule comprised over two dozen classes. The 

first fifteen were for a single stem of lilies including (as then listed) LL. canadense, 

croceum, Duchartrei var. Farreri, martagon, pardalinum, Philippinense var. 

Formosanum, regale, Szovitsianum, x testaceum, and umbellatum followed by 

classes for lilies in pots up to 12 in. in diameter, one for three lily species suited to 

rock garden or alpine house, and two classes for substantial table arrangements 

featuring lilies. Sadly the available records do not show the number of entries in 

what might seem today an impossibly ambitious schedule. 

Following the Conference, two entries in the Committee minutes bring to mind 

the changes in social structure and attitudes which have taken place since 1933. First 

Dr Stoker criticised Conference Regulation 37, the second part of which read: 

“Prize money is paid to the exhibitor’s gardener (when known) unless the 

exhibitor has informed the Secretary that he prefers some other arrangement.” 

In reply to Dr Stoker, Sir William Lawrence said that such an arrangement was 

common to all shows where money prizes were given. A matter of such fundamental 

importance as this was duly referred to the Council but there is no record in the 

minutes of the Lily Committee of the result of Council’s deliberation upon it! 

Secondly, in the minutes of the same day’s meeting, it was simply reported 

that the President (of the RHS) and the Chairman (of the Lily Committee) were to 

meet to discuss “the advisability of publishing a list of the President’s guests at the 

dinner which he gave on the first evening of the International Lily Conference”. 

At the Council meeting of 25 October 1932, Stern had presented a memorandum 

calling for the formation of a lily group: “Many members of the RHS and others 

have asked me during the past year how to join the Lily Society! The Council will 

remember that the Lily Committee was created primarily to avoid another new 

Society being formed, but there is no doubt that there is a want among member 

and the public to join some body devoted to lilies and their culture, where they 

can air their views and hear other views on their especial subject”. 

The objects of the Lily Group were to be: “to encourage the cultivation of lilies, 

fritillaries and nomocharis by holding meetings for lectures and discussions, by 

visiting gardens where these plants are well-grown, and by holding an annual 

dinner for those interested in the three genera.” It was open to all Fellows and 

Associates of the Society who wished to join with no extra subscription. The 

inaugural meeting took place in the Old Hall on 21 March 1933. The first Group 

visit was to the gardens of E.A. Bowles and Fred Stoker in July 1933. 

An important feature of the Lily Committee’s activities during the immediately 

pre-war years was its Lily Research Sub-Committee consisting of Stern, Cotton, 

Stoker, Daniel Hall and Lawrence Ogilvie, who had reported to the Conference 

on lily mosaic disease. The first scientific activity of the Lily Committee was to 

31

initiate a programme of chromosone counts of lilies. Sir Daniel Hall agreed to 

carry out the work at the John Innes Horticutural Institution, and the Bentham 

Trust donated £25 towards the costs of the work (“thus no financial burden 

would fall upon the Society”). The result of this labour was a three-part article 

in the 1934 Year Book. 

In co-operation with staff of the RHS Garden at Wisley a number of research 

projects were proposed and commenced. There is virtually no record of the 

results in the minutes of the Lily Committee. Thus we read of experiments 

on the influence of water levels and drainage, attempts to grow lilies in pits of 

different soils, the study of root development in lilies, systematic comparison of 

methods of scaling and measurement of carbon dioxide levels around the bulbs 

of imported lilies together with its effect on storage rots. Like all contemporary 

biological research, not merely in horticulture, the experiments and trials were of 

an empirical nature and their design and objectives seem simplistic in the extreme 

by comparison with modern work chronicled later in Dr Waister’s article 2 . 

In 1934 Stoker began pressing for the collection of data on the identification 

of lily bulbs, the eventual result of which was W. A. Constable’s article “The 

Comparison of Lily Bulbs” in the 1946 Year Book (the original drawings for 

which are in the Lindley Library). Some proposals never reached fulfilment, 

among them Arthur Groves’ projected “synonimicon” of lilies and Thomas Hay’s 

demand for a comprehensive bibliography of lily literature. 

After the conclusion of the 1932 Conference, the Lily Committee’s meetings 

were largely devoted to show schedules and the publication of the Year Book; 

almost the only technical discussion recorded in the minutes was the debate over 

whether or not Lilium duchartrei and L. lankongense were distinct species. By 

1937 the Committee could record the verdict of J.D. Stewart of the Lily Garden, 

Oregon City, that “For some years we have regarded these Year Books as our 

most valuable source of information on lilies, and we appreciate this good work 

of the Royal Horticultural Society”. 

In 1939, the Reverend Professor E.S. Lyttel presented a silver cup “to be 

awarded annually on the recommendation of the Lily Committee to someone 

who has done good work on behalf of Lilies, Nomocharis or Fritillaries” 3 . The 

first recipient of the Lyttel Cup was Arthur Grove, for his publications which “in 

2 Review of the Lily Literature 1988-1991 published in Lilies and Related Plants 1992-1993, 

(pp. 99-105). 

3 Professor Lyttel also presented a silver cup for a similar purpose to the Alpine Garden 

Society, which embodied his other great horticultural interests. That original cup is still 

awarded today. The first Lyttel Cup presented to the Lily Committee has disappeared, 

presumably into a melting pot. The one presented today is a smaller cup created at a 

later date but still known as the Lyttel Cup. 

32

the opinion of the Committee, had done more than those of any other writer to 

maintain and increase interest in lilies”. 

The 1939-45 war caused a hiatus in the publication of the Year Book and a 

general winding down of the activities of the Committee which met annually 

for the duration. After the war business continued as usual, still under the 

Chairmanship of Sir Frederick Stern who was now the holder of the RHS Victoria 

Medal of Honour. In 1949 Committee played a part in organising a trial of lilies at 

Wisley. In response to an enquiry from Jan de Graaff in Oregon, it was decreed 

that bulbs for the trial must have been propagated vegetatively and not grown 

from seed. Thus the whole range of de Graaff’s burgeoning strains of trumpet 

lilies were excluded despite their singular significance in the future development 

of the lily as a garden plant. Bulbs accepted for the trial were tested for cucumber 

mosaic virus at intervals by inoculation of test plants with sap from the scales and 

later the leaves. They were grown well away from herbaceous plants and weeds 

and were sprayed with nicotine twice weekly. 

The first post-war Lily Conference was held in 1959 with the organisation 

largely in the hands of the RHS itself. At the accompanying show Oliver Wyatt, 

Major and Mrs Knox-Finlay of Keillour Castle and Oregon Bulb Farms (Jan de 

Graaff) were among those showing lilies, but no Gold Medals were awarded. 

The still new de Graaff trumpet lily ‘Limelight’, already a holder of the Award 

of Merit, was given a First Class Certificate. Reports of strong stems of Lilium 

lankongense, L. cernuum and L. taliense on the de Graaff stand remind us that 

it was not only hybrid development which was lost with the eventual demise of 

his Oregon Bulb Farms. 

The fourth Conference was duly held in 1969. During the intervening ten 

years, two new species lilies had been described – Lilium rhodopeum and 

L. ciliatum. Three Gold Medals were awarded at the accompanying show: to 

Geest Industries showing de Graaff lilies; to the Dutch Lily Society and to the 

RHS Lily Group. 

In the intervening years the greatest change, of course, was the death of 

Sir Frederick Stern in 1967. Though not always abreast of the times in his 

approach, he left a void which proved almost impossible to fill. In all the 

Standing Committees of the RHS, the Chairman is appointed by the Council and 

expected to be either a member or former member of Council. Oliver Wyatt was 

appointed Chairman in 1968, to be succeeded by Miss Frances Perry in 1974. 

If the records of the minutes are anything to go by, the meetings of the Lily 

Committee, still held only annually, became progressively shorter. Certainly the 

minutes tell virtually nothing of what transpired beyond the annual award of the 

Lyttel Cup. There were rumblings of discontent and we hear, now, of division of 

the Committee into two factions. 

33

Faced with this continuing situation, in 1978 Council decided that the 

Committee should become semi-independent and concerned more with the 

affairs of the Lily Group. It would loose its status as a Standing Committee and 

thus be free to elect its own Chairman, with the Lily Group or the Committee 

selecting its members. Gradually thereafter it became known in RHS records and 

publications as the RHS Lily Group Committee. Colonel Iain Ferguson became 

Chairman and was subsequently succeeded by Mrs Dee Martyn Simmons, a 

member of the Committee since 1966. 

It seems that the Committee, divested of the ties and privileges of Standing 

Committee status and without a real function failed, initially, to consolidate its new 

place in the Society. The succession of ten-yearly International Lily Conferences 

which had begun after the Second World War faltered in 1979 when lack of direction 

in the Committee led to postponement for a year and, eventually, abandonment. 

It is important to record here the part played in maintaining continuity during this 

uncertain period by members such as David Parsons, sometime Vice-Chairman, at 

that time growing lilies commercially, Derek Fox who also turned to the nursery 

trade, and Brian Halliwell, Assistant-Curator at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 

The beginnings of a new function in the Committee could already be seen in 

the minutes in 1976 with the first mention of the Lily Group seed distribution. 

Operated at first by the Secretary, James Platt, it subsequently, in the hands of Mrs 

Molly Pottinger, became established as an important factor in encouraging the 

growing of lilies and consolidating the Lily Group. Her successor, Alan Hooker, 

has succeeded in expanding the appeal of this function worldwide – both to the 

east as far as Japan and Australia, and westwards to Canada and the USA. The 

modern dominance of lily hybrids in the horticultural trade has meant that more 

hybrid seed has become available. At the same time the virtual disappearance 

of most lily species from catalogues led to an insatiable demand for their seed 

among amateurs determined to grow even the apparently ungrowable. 

In common with most small specialist organisations the Lily Group was not 

strong financially. In 1982 it received a gift from the well-known wild-life artist 

Raymond Booth, who is still a member today. As well as growing many lilies in 

his garden, Mr Booth delights in producing scientifically accurate studies of wild 

British plants and animals. His gift comprised a large and detailed portrait of 

Lilium auratum together with the copyright usually retained by the artist in such 

circumstances. Obviously the ownership of a painting is a mixed blessing for a 

corporate body without a permanent home and so it was sold, through a New 

Bond Street dealer, for a sum in excess of £3000. 

In terms of publications the recent history of the Lily Committee and the Lily 

Group has been dominated by the enormous increase in costs and the consequent 

fall in demand. The Conference issue of the Lily Year Book in 1970 is still 

34

equired reading for enthusiasts on lilies and fritillaries with no less than 250 

pages of text. However, the Year Book became an untenable financial burden 

on the Society and was discontinued after 1971. Agreement was reached on a 

more modest publication entitled Lilies and Allied Plants but this too foundered 

on the matter of costs and sales. To the continuing despair of librarians (even 

today!) there was an interim publication entitled The RHS Lily Group Bulletin, 

published as a 50 th anniversary edition in 1982, before the Group fell back on the 

title Lilies and Related Plants published approximately biennially. There was a 

single supplement in 1990 which comprised the proceedings of the 5 th London 

International Conference of 1989. 

This brief history brings us almost up to date. Throughout the existence of 

the Lily Group there have been regular meetings, lectures, visits to gardens and, 

replacing the gradually faltering lily competitions at Westminster shows, a series 

of fine co-operative exhibits of lilies mainly from members’ gardens resulting 

in the award of a string of fritillaries (very much the plants of the moment) and 

alliums (perhaps still awaiting a breakthrough in mass popularity) have also 

been produced at shows. With the incredibly successful 5 th (1989) International 

Conference as a lasting tribute to her persistence and foresight, Mrs Simmons 

bowed out as Chairman of both Committee and Group in 1990 and has been 

succeeded by Mr Harris Howland. The Lily Group’s membership stands currently 

at over 600 with nearly 120 overseas members in 21 different countries. 

A Review of English language 

Monographs on the Genus Lilium 

1873 – 2006 

Cameron Carmichael has assessed the lily literature of the past 

150 years and shares his thoughts. 

AVE YOU EVER ASKED or been asked if you could recommend a good book on 

Hlilies? 

The answer to this might be fairly simple, however if someone asked 

if you could recommend a good book on lily taxonomy the answer might be 

slightly different. My own attention to this matter was drawn a few years ago 

when a second hand book list appeared with five works on lilies, two of which 

I was familiar with and the other three I knew nothing about. Needless to say 

being a true Scotsman I decided to hold onto my bawbees and not invest in what 

might have been frivolous literature. I have since wondered just what I missed. 

35

Hence this review… 

We are extremely fortunate that the majority of the books listed have been 

written by lily enthusiasts, and the offerings by garden writers with their limited 

knowledge of the cultivation of lilies are few and far between. The ratings in the 

accompanying tables (pages 37, 38 & 39) refer to the ‘meat’ content. Many of 

the books, although they may not rate highly in the tables, are interspersed with 

useful hints and anecdotes. I would commend the majority for further study. 

Methodology 

In deciding the parameters to be selected for the accompanying spreadsheets I 

took into account the factors one would probably look for in the selection of a 

good lily book. The first five are self-explanatory. 

Due to the nature of the article it is necessary to severely curtail many of the 

subjects otherwise I could end up with the whole of the Yearbook devoted to 

this review. I have deliberately omitted the ISBN numbers simply because they 

are not relevant to the early books. 

Pagination 

Pagination does not take account of things such as print or page size – i.e. one 

work is printed in full folio and some others are printed in octavo with every size 

in between. Works with less than a hundred pages can usually be regarded as 

samplers or an introduction to the genus. 

The ratings are self-explanatory: P = poor; F = fair; G = Good; VG = very good; 

and E = excellent. 

History; species; hybrids; cultivation; propagation are all self-explanatory. 

Taxonomy 

There are a number of parameters I could have included within botany such as physiology 

and morphology, but I considered that taxonomy was the most important. 

Ecology 

The subject of ecology has been and continues to be poorly dealt with in most 

works, and without a good understanding of ecology the subject of cultivation 

becomes a question of trial and error. 

Illustration 

I have not gone into the details of black and white or colour illustrations unless 

these illustrations are of an exceptional nature, in which case it is mentioned in 

36

the accompanying notes. High quality colour and black and white reproduction 

has been available since 1870 – albeit at a cost. 

Pests and diseases 

With the recent ban on just about any pesticides which are effective we are being 

forced to adopt ‘stone age’ practices for pest and disease control. I therefore 

commend to readers the methods recommended in the pre-1950 works. 

TITLE AUTHOR PUBLISHER 

Notes on 

Lilies and 

their Culture 

Lilies and 

their Culture 

A Monograph 

on the Genus 

Lilium 

Benham 

& Harrison 

Dr Wallace 

H J Elwes 

supplements 

Grove, Cotton, 

Turrill 

Teutshel & Co 

New Plant and 

Bulb Co. 

Lilies for 

G Jekyll Country Life 

English Gardens 

The Book of 

the Lily 

W Goldring 

Lilies A Grove Jack 

Lilies H S Adams 

The Lilies of 

Eastern Asia 

E H Wilson 

1873 

109p 

1879 

215p 

E VG VG E – – E P – 

G E E E – VG E P F 

Various and RHS 1880 E E E E – E VG – – 

Practical 

Gardening 

Handbook 

John Lane 

McBride Nast 

& Co. 

Dulau & Co. 

The Stratford 

Road Co. 

Garden 

Cinderellas 

How to Grow 

Lilies in the Gdn 

H M Fox Macmillan 

Lilies and their 

Culture in 

North America 

William N Craig 

Florists 

Publishing 

DATE / PAGES 

1901 

72p 

1905 

98p 

1911 

116p 

1913 

116p 

1925 

110p 

1928 

269p 

1928 

144p 

HISTORY 

TAXONOMY 

SPECIES 

ECOLOGY 

HYBRIDS 

ILLUSTRATION 

CULTIVATION 

PESTS & DISEASE 

F F F F F F VG F P 

P P G P F F F P P 

G – E G F G G F F 

PROPAGATION 

P P G F P G F-G P P 

E E E VG – F – – – 

VG – E VG – P-E E E VG 

VG F E G G G VG G VG 

37


Consider the 

Lilies 

Lilies 

Lilies for 

Garden and 

Greenhouse 

A Book of 

Lilies 

38 

W E Marshal W E Marshal 

H P Woodcock 

& J Coutts 

Country Life 

D T McFie Collingridge 

Dr P Fred Stoker King Penguin 

Garden Lilies A & E MacNeil Oxford 

Lilies for the 

Beginner 

Lilies for every 

Garden 

Lilies for 

American 

Gardens 

Lilies of the 

World 

New Book of 

Lilies 

Lilies in their 

Homes 


Cultivation 

G M Taylor John Gifford 

Isabella Preston Orange Judd 

George L Slate Scribiners 

W D Woodcock 

W S Stearn 

Country Life 

1928 

92p 

1935 

242p 

1939 

143p 

1943 

48p 

1946 

226p 

1947 

79p 

1947 

160p 

F – F – G G F F F 

E F E E E F-G E G VG 

F – G – G G G G G 

G P F G – VG G P – 

F F F-G F F G G VG G 

F – F – P – G G G 

VG – VG F E F G VG G 

1947 

F-G F-G G F F F G E VG 

258p 

1950 

431p 

Jan de Graaff M Barrows & Co 1951 

176p 

E F-G E E E G E VG E 

G – F – E G VG G G 

A C Maxwell Collins 1953 VG – F F-G G F F F F 

M E Leeburn 

Lilies J G Campbell 

DATE / PAGES 

1955 

96p 

Amateur 

1957 

Gardening 

92p 

Handbook No.21 

HISTORY 

TAXONOMY 

SPECIES 

ECOLOGY 

HYBRIDS 

ILLUSTRATION 

CULTIVATION 


PROPAGATION 

F F F – F F VG G VG 

– P F-G – F-G F F F F-G


The Complete 

Book of Lilies 


Cultivation 

de Graaff 

Rockwell & 

Grayson 

H G Witham 

Fogg 

DATE / PAGES 

American Garden 1961 

Guild 

352p 

Gifford 

Garden Lilies M E Leeburn Collingridge 

Lets Grow Lilies Virginia Howie 

Modern Lilies 

Lilies in 

Australia 

Lilies 

M J Jefferson 

Brown 

R M Withers 

Jan de Graaff 

Edward Hyams 

Easter Lilies T Allen et al 

Amercian Lily 

Society 

Faber 

Australian Lily 

Society 

Nelson 

New York 

College of 

Agriculture 

Lilies Carl Feldmaier Batsford 

Lilies O E P Wyatt RHS Handbook 

Lilies 

Kenneth A 

Beckett 

Charles Letts 

Lilies Patrick M Synge Batsford / RHS 

Growing Lilies Derek Fox 

Christopher 

Helm 

1961 

149p 

1963 

139p 

1964 

48p 

1966 

137p 

1967 

252p 

1967 

142p 

1967 

138p 

1970 

228p 

1972 

23p 

1976 

31p 

1980 

276p 

1985 

264p 

HISTORY 

TAXONOMY 

SPECIES 

ECOLOGY 

HYBRIDS 

ILLUSTRATION 

CULTIVATION 


PROPAGATION 

G F G – E F-G E E E 

P – F – F F G F F 

G F VG F VG F-G E E E 

– – P – P G F – VG 

F – G – G G G G VG 

G G G F VG F G VG VG 

G P F P F E G G G 

E E 1SP E – VG E E E 

G F G G VG P-VG G E E 

– – P P F-G F F F F 

F – P – P F F F G 

E E E E G E E E E 

G G E E E VG VG E E 

39


Lilies Derek Fox RHS Handbook 

Lilies of China Stephen Haw Batsford 

The Lily for 

Garden Patio 

and Display 

A Plantsman’s 

Guide 

Lilies 

Lilies 

their Care & 

Cultivation 

40 

M J Jefferson 

Brown 

M J Jefferson 

Brown 

Victoria 

Matthews 

M J Jefferson 

Brown 

DATE / PAGES 

1985 

64p 

1986 

169p 

David & Charles 1988 

192p 

Ward Lock 

Kew Guide 

Collingridge 

Cassell 

Lilies Richard Bird Apple Press 

The Gardener’s 

Guide to 

Growing Lilies 

M J Jefferson 

David and 

Brown and Harris 

Charles 

Howland 

Lilies E A McRae Timber Press 

Lilies 

Lilies 

Lilies 

Andrew 

Mikolajski 

M J Jefferson 

Brown 

M J Jefferson 

Brown 

Andrew Lawson 

1989 

127p 

1989 

124p 

1990 

144p 

1991 

128p 

1995 

160p 

1998 

392p 

New Plant Library 1998 

64p 

RHS Handbook 

Cassell 

RHS 

Martagon Lilies E Eugene Fox E Eugene Fox 

2002 

160p 

2003 

160p 

2006 

174p 

HISTORY 

TAXONOMY 

SPECIES 

ECOLOGY 

HYBRIDS 

ILLUSTRATION 

CULTIVATION 


PROPAGATION 

– F G – G VG G G P 

E E E E – E F F F 

– G G – G VG VG VG VG 

P – F – F G G G G 

F F-G G F G VG F-G VG G 

P – – – VG E VG VG E 

– – P – F VG F-G G G 

F F G F VG VG F G VG 

F F VG G E VG VG E E 

G F F P F G G G F 

P P F – F VG F G F 

F F P – F E F G G 

E E E E E G E E E

Notes on selected works 

1873 Notes on Lilies and Their Culture (Benham & Harrison) 

This is probably the first book on the subject following the works of Spae and 

Duchartre in France, and Baker in the UK, whereupon each had recently published 

papers on Lilies. This work is an important historical document which is worth 

reading and has useful notes on the history, ecology and cultivation of the genus. 

1879 Lilies and Their Culture (Second Edition) (Dr Wallace) 

The work is described as “This little pamphlet on Lilies” by its author; published 

on a steam press, and dedicated to none other than Mrs Bateman 1 , a famous 

horticulturist. The 1873 work of Benham and Harrison is brought up to date and 

with 215 pages the quality of the material is extremely good. 

Illustrations are by means of woodcuts, some of which are quite exceptional, 

and superior to some of today’s colour photography. 

Apart from some of the nomenclature, which is out of date, the contents of this 

book are just as relevant today as they were when first published. 

1880 A Monograph on the Genus Lilium (H.J. Elwes) 

Elwes’ famous Monograph was produced with no consideration for expense, 

and having just completed his five-volume work with Augustine Henry, The 

Trees of Great Britain and Ireland, he decided that what was required was a 

book of exceptional quality, some editions having hand-coloured plates which 

were reproduced full-scale in folio. Such was the quality of this work that a 

similar sized supplement was published soon after, and subsequent paperback 

supplements were published right up until 1962. 

The Monograph is regarded as one of the great horticultural and botanical 

works of any genus and this is reflected in its scarcity and asking price. The 

going rate for a full set as a result of speculation was up until recently eight to 

ten thousand pounds. However within the last year an almost mint copy was 

sold at auction for five and a half thousand pounds. 

It is rather sad that most of Britain’s foremost Botanic Gardens and horticultural 

institutions together with lily enthusiasts rarely ever see a copy, let alone own, 

this work. 

1901 Lilies for English Gardens (Gertrude Jekyll) 

Gertrude Jekyll requires no introduction today and in 1901 her fame was already 

1 Mrs Bateman was the wife of James Bateman the creator of the remarquable garden at 

Biddulph Grange. 

41

well established. Therefore almost any work by her was likely to be sure of 

success, so much so that this work was printed no fewer than three times, the 

last reprint in1982 having eight colour plates. From the chart it is obvious that 

her knowledge of cultivation was very good. Was her knowledge of the other 

parameters fair or poor, or did she simply, in her flowing prose, know how to 

write a good book? 

1911 Lilies (W. Goldring) 

With a foreword by none other than Elwes himself, this little publication in 

The Present Day Garden Series does not rate particularly highly on the ‘charts’. 

A. Grove, who was an electrical engineer by profession, was one of Elwes’ 

contemporaries and this book is full of most interesting snippets of information. 

1925 The Lilies of Eastern Asia (E.H. Wilson) 

This book written by none other than E.H. Wilson complete with ‘lily leg’ 

sustained when he fell off a cliff collecting Lilium regale, tells of his botanical 

explorations of China. It is a large format work, sadly the illustrations are of only 

fair quality, however the botanical information is excellent. 

1928 Garden Cinderellas: how to grow lilies in the Garden (H.M. Fox) 

1928 Lilies and Their Culture in North America (William N. Craig) 

These two American books are relatively unknown on this side of the Atlantic. 

Fortunately with the advent of the internet I was able to obtain copies of both 

from the States within three days. Other books coming from British booksellers 

are taking seven to ten days. 

Garden Cinderellas was written by Helen Morganau Fox – an amateur 

gardener who knew everybody who was anybody in the American lily world. 

Her foreword was written by none other than E.H. Wilson. Her knowledge of 

American lilies was profound. 

The publication by William N. Craig followed a parallel course except that he 

was an American nurseryman whose book gave lots of hints to the would-be 

commercial grower. Craig had some experience of growing lilies in wet areas and 

he advocated the planting of lily bulbs on their side to allow water to drain from 

the scales. Craig also travelled extensively in the UK and he gives a useful insight 

into British gardens through the eyes of an American. 

1935 Lilies (H.P. Woodcock & J. Coutts) 

This is the first attempt to provide a reasonable working monograph on the 

culture of lilies. The book was produced with the co-operation of a Judge, H. 

Drysdale-Woodcock, and the curator of Kew, J. Coutts. Someone looking for an 

42

affordable book with extensive information on the subject can usually obtain this 

work for around £10 to £15. 

1943 A Book of Lilies (Dr P. Fred Stoker) 

A delightful little book that was published during the war in the King Penguin 

series and was restricted to 48 pages. Dr Fred Stoker was a very keen lily exhibitor 

with an extensive knowledge of the subject, and he was also a contributor to one 

of Elwes’ supplements. There are two plus points to this work. His English is 

concise; every word clearly means something, and there is a series of 1/12 colour 

plates at the rear of the book reproduced from Elwes’ great Monograph. 

1947 Lilies for Every Garden (This work supersedes an earlier book, 1929) 

Isabella Preston is probably better known for her work on Syringa x prestoniae. 

A number of varieties were raised in various shades of pink. Regrettably the 

names have become confused, however they are superb subjects for the large 

garden. During the 1930s to 1950s she was well-known for her work on lily 

hybridisation. She was one of the first people to apply scientific principles of 

plant breeding in an attempt to raise disease-free hardy hybrids which would 

withstand the rigours of the Canadian climate. 

1950 Lilies of the World (W.D. Woodcock & W.S. Stearn) 

William Stearn who started off as a bookshop assistant, ultimately became one 

of the world’s greatest botanists and with a concise and precise mind brought 

perfection to almost everything he touched. This book is essentially an updated 

Woodcock and Coutts. However it has gone up from 242 pages to 431 pages. The 

botanical information which was poor in the early edition has been improved, 

and there is a much wider coverage of species. Like the 1935 work it can be 

obtained at a reasonable price. 

1961 The Complete Book of Lilies (de Graaff, Rockwell & Grayson) 

The great Dutch-American lily grower Jan de Graaff produced three books on 

the subject. One on his own (1951) and another two with garden writers. Oddly 

enough the garden writers provided more interest to his work. On this 1961 

publication (pity about the title) he co-operated with Rockwell and Grayson, two 

well-known American garden writers. This book with 352 pages gives extensive 

coverage of the subject with interesting notes on plant breeding. 

1963 Garden Lilies (M.E. Leeburn) 

The author of this book lived in Northern Ireland and this work supersedes the 

one published in 1955. This is a superior work and gives a practical insight into 

43

growing plants in a climate that has cooler summers and wetter winters. 

1964 Let’s Grow Lilies (Virginia Howie) 

This work, which is restricted to 48 pages, was published by the American Lily 

Society. Virginia Howie has made a successful attempt to produce a guidebook 

in comic form with lots of line diagrams. The booklet would be ideal for 

instructing people who have no horticultural knowledge or who experience 

learning difficulties. 

1967 Easter Lilies (T. Allen et al) 

I have made an exception with this work in as much as I have excluded reports from 

experimental stations. However the information given in this paperback is important 

– i.e. it gives considerable insight into plant breeding, physiology and commercial lily 

production - and is a must for anyone wishing to study these subjects. 

1970 Lilies (Carl Feldmaier) 

This book was originally published in German and it was so good that it was 

translated into English. It rates excellent in both propagation and pests and 

diseases and gives an insight into growing lilies under continental conditions. 

1980 Lilies (Patrick M. Synge) 

This book claims to be a complete revision of Elwes’ Monograph of 1880. On 

publication it caused consternation amongst many members of the Group. One 

wag was heard to comment “St Peter revising the Old Testament”. There is no 

doubt that the quality of this work does not compare with the 1880 publication 

and subsequent supplements. The quality of the illustrations and the wording of 

the text are certainly different. 

To the majority of lily enthusiasts who have never seen Elwes’ original publication, 

it was a welcome relief and it is the first and only work after Elwes which may be 

regarded as a complete botanical monograph. Patrick Synge (the Editor of the RHS 

and Secretary of the Lily Group) was never noted as a lily grower. However he 

was an author of several good books and with the facilities of the Lindley library 

at his fingertips he was in a unique position to carry out an extensive revision of 

Elwes’ work. Unfortunately Elwes which extends to two rather large volumes plus 

paperback supplements, had to be condensed into one reasonable-sized book. 

The result is very concise English and rather dry reading. However, despite this, 

there is no doubt that Synge produced a publication which is the finest piece of 

literature on the subject since Elwes’ publication in 1880. 

44

1985 Growing Lilies (Derek Fox) 

The author of this book, Derek Fox, spent his life in shipping and worked in 

order to get enough money to maintain body, soul and the precious lilies, for 

which he was famous. It is quite remarkable that someone who was neither a 

professional horticulturist nor botanist should have been able to produce such 

a book that was user-friendly to a very high standard. It is interesting to note 

that it has already been reprinted in paperback and let’s hope that, like Jekyll, 

it goes to a third reprint. This is probably the most user-friendly book on 

the subject. 

1986 Lilies of China (Stephen Haw) 

Stephen Haw contributed to the lily section of the massive Flora of China. This 

is a superb achievement for a foreigner. It is a must for the botanist, but sadly is 

already considerably out of date. 

1989 Lilies (Victoria Matthews) 

This book by noted botanist Victoria Matthews who did the keys on the Genus 

Lilium in European Garden Flora, is in the Kew Guide series. It is an interesting 

photographic instruction book on the subject. 

1998 Lilies (E.A. McRae) 

E.A. McRae is a Scotsman educated at RBGE who moved to America and worked 

with Jan de Graaff on hybridisation and commercial lily production. The work 

gives extensive insight into lily hybridisation, propagation and pests and diseases. 

There is even a chapter on tissue culture. With 392 pages it gives comprehensive 

coverage. 

2003 Lilies (M. Jefferson Brown) 

Undoubtedly Worcestershire nurseryman and daffodil and lily breeder Michael 

Jefferson Brown was the most prolific author of lily books. With seven to his 

credit he certainly had plenty of practice! But the pièce de resistance of this 

seventh volume is without doubt RHS photographer Andrew Lawson’s outstanding 

photographic studies of various lilies. The work was published in large format 

and could probably best be described as a “coffee table book”. 

2006 Martagon Lilies (E. Eugene Fox) 

Just when I was saturated with reviews on lily books, many of which I thought 

were either similar or not quite up to the mark - i.e. we’d been there before, this 

refreshingly new Canadian book appeared. There is always a new perspective. 

45

Lily Year Books 

The Year Books of our and other societies have been regarded as outwith the 

scope of this article. However I think it is fair to point out that RHS Year Books, 

for example, date back to 1932 and many of them contain much of the subject 

matter for the books contained in this review. Any future lily author would be 

wise to consult them. 

The Future 

With around 50 books on the subject, plus even more yearbooks, one could 

reasonably argue ‘do we need any more lily books?’ The answer to this was 

given last year with the publication of Martagon Lilies; if you have something 

new to say, let’s print it. 

Perhaps we can consider some of the following: 

46 

a) A limited edition three-volume reprint of Elwes’ Monograph at a 50% 

reduced scale, the third volume to include the paperback editions and 

subsequent revisions. This could be issued over a period of perhaps five 

years. With modern methods of high quality colour printing and cheap 

publishing techniques, i.e. in Italy, China or Singapore, it should be possible 

to get this down to around £100 per volume. 

b) A reprint of Synge with an update on revisions. 

c) A completely new photographic work on species with colour one page 

to a species, and one page of text. Photography to be carried out by a 

photographer of similar calibre to Andrew Lawson. 

Acknowledgements: 

The following individuals – Junella McKay, Mike Park, David Walkinshaw and George Watt. 

Staff at the following institutions: British Library, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens; National 

Library of Scotland; and finally The Lindley Library and its satellite at Wisley. 

The horticultural collection of the Lindley Library is without doubt the biggest in the 

world, i.e. the total number of lily books in all the other libraries combined amounts to 

less than 50% of the RHS. Indeed only three volumes in this review were absent from this 

collection. It is fair to say that without the good offices of the RHS this review would not 

have been possible.

Chris North 

‘Angela North’ 

Alan Mitchell has gathered together memories of this exceptional lily 

hybridiser and valued friend. 

HEN CAROLINE BOISSET CONTACTED ME to ask me to write a piece about Chris 

WNorth, 

but, as a “little challenge”, to avoid what I and others had already 

written about him, my first thought was that Caroline was being a touch ironic 

in her description of the magnitude of the challenge. However, any pessimism I 

felt about meeting the challenge was dispelled by the willingness of the people 

I contacted to write about Chris, someone they all respected as a lily hybridiser 

and valued as a friend. I also feel, as the more formal aspects of Chris’s career 

have already been dealt with in both national and lily-related publications on 

both sides of the Atlantic, it is appropriate that the following contributions are 

less formal in tone, a style in keeping with the way Chris North approached 

things himself. 

Col. Iain Ferguson was the Chair of the Lily Group from 1978 to 1982 and, as 

the entertaining and insightful reminiscence that follows indicates, he appreciated 

Chris North’s abilities as a horticulturist and valued him as a companion. 

During the summer of 1980 the Directors of The Scottish Horticultural Research 

47

Institute became more and more concerned that their top scientist, Dr Christopher 

North, was devoting ever increasing time to developing new lilies. Furthermore, 

the 80,000 bulbs growing there were taking up a great deal of space. When 

visitors started to spend more time admiring ‘Ariadne’, ‘Adonis’, ‘Orestes’, ‘Minos’ 

and ‘Odysseus’ instead of appreciating the new varieties of soft fruit, the axe fell. 

Chris was ordered to change direction and to reduce the stock drastically and 

immediately. 

Good man that he was, he turned to the Lily Group and asked me to remove 

as many bulbs as I could quickly. Fortunately, I was commanding my Regiment 

at the time and I suddenly remembered that I needed to visit the Regimental 

Recruitment Office in Dundee. Within days a Scots Guards landrover slipped 

into the Institute and collected eight large sacks of Chris North’s precious bulbs 

and, most generously, a huge bag of strawberries. 

The lily bulbs went to Vincent Square where our very enthusiastic and persuasive 

Vice Chairman and auctioneer, David Parsons, took charge of them. By then the 

strawberries had gone absent! Before the auction, at Chris’s request, John Bond 

took a few hundred bulbs to the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. When I 

visited in 1983 they were flourishing. Bulbs also went to Kew and to Wisley. The 

remainder were auctioned to Lily Group members. 

As far as I can recall there were three kinds of Asiatic hybrids, a pink, a 

white and a yellow. Chris told me that they were fertile diploids. There were 23 

lankongense hybrids in all colours, scented but mostly sterile. There was one 

orange henryi hybrid and the most attractive of all, I thought, was a pyrenaicum/ 

pomponium hybrid with scarlet flowers. 

Shortly after this, Chris North retired to his beloved water mill and the breeding 

programme that had started in 1966 came to an end. Chris always said that a 

breeding project must be planned and organised by one man and not a committee. 

I think he was a man who preferred to work on his own and so this suited him. 

Certainly, he was the right man in the right place at the right time. When we lost 

him, we said goodbye to a lovely character, certainly unusual, even possibly a 

little eccentric. He was a delightful companion and, truly, the most exceptional 

plantsman and breeder. 

At the end of my article, “Conserving North Hybrids – An Update On An 

Ongoing Endeavour”, which appeared in the December 2006 Lily Group 

Newsletter, I included a “North Hybrids Response Form” as a method of trying to 

establish which cultivars Lily Group members grow in their gardens. One of the 

respondents was Judith Freeman, who has been, for many years, an admirer 

and grower of North Hybrids in her Vancouver nursery, The Lily Garden. Judith’s 

reflections and comments are as follows: 

48

I love Dr North’s lilies, especially ‘Ariadne’, and my admiration increased after 

visiting him and his wife, Marie, in Scotland many years ago. Chris and Marie also 

stayed in my home in Oregon, en-route to their son’s wedding, years and years ago 

and it was a delightful visit. As a reminder of these enjoyable times, I still have some 

of his original lily slides, given to me when I was editing the NALS Yearbooks. 

Chris really inspired me to breed with L. lankongense, something I am still 

doing. I have found his ‘Ariadne’ (from which I have bred ‘Beguiling’, ‘Descant’ 

and ‘Heirloom Lace’) to be the most disease-free (and virus tolerant) of all the 

L. lankongense hybrids. I think it has enough davidii to over-ride the virussusceptibility 

of lankongense, and just enough lankongense to over-ride davidii’s 

susceptibility to botrytis in our climate. 

I did my first embryo cultures in 1971, so isn’t it a testimony to the influence of 

Dr North’s work that I’m still breeding with many of his originals! 

I’m also working with Barrie and Nigel Strohman in Neepawa, Manitoba to 

help them propagate as many of Dr North’s hybrids as possible. I can start tissue 

culture from just a bit of a bud or scale bulblet then send the test tubes to them – or 

others – to grow out. I am keeping a little “mother stock” of these clones so there’s 

always a healthy reservoir. 

With reference to Barrie and Nigel Strohman, I was introduced to them by 

Charlie Kroell at the Diamond Jubilee NALS Convention, which was held in 

Edmonton, Alberta. Barrie and Nigel spoke about the collaboration with Judith 

Freeman (referred to in the last paragraph) and expressed a desire to obtain more 

North Hybrid bulbs. It is heartening to report that a number of other lily growers 

also expressed an interest in obtaining bulbs, hence my undertaking to put them 

in contact with Kirstie McManus, as, undoubtedly, the source that could supply 

them with the widest range of cultivars. While discussing North Hybrids with these 

growers I opined, and they agreed, that having more cultivars to work with could 

– a few years down the line – result in lily displays at future NALS Conventions that 

would both extend and enhance the already impressive displays. 

The history of the North Hybrids has had and, hopefully, will continue to have 

many contributors, but few are as important as Peter Waister as the following 

salient points from an e-mail he sent me indicates: 

When I retired from the Scottish Crop Research Institute, in 1988, I started a 

nursery mainly to propagate the North hybrids. There was little commercial 

interest from the larger propagators at that time because the lankongense hybrids 

were not mass market in the sense of being florists’ lilies. 

I obtained virus-tested stocks of the “North Ladies” series from the Glasshouse 

49

Above left, ‘Descant’, Top right, ‘Karen North’, Above right, ‘Theseus’. 

Crops Research Institute (GCRI), where they had been cleaned up by arrangement 

with SCRI. GCRI had a mix-up in testing and supplied bulbs of ‘Hannah’ that 

turned out to be ‘Rosemary’ so I have nine of the ten North Ladies. I had hoped 

to have tested stocks of the Greek series too, but these had been released to other 

propagators and I do not know their fate in health terms. My own stocks of 

these are therefore open ground bulbs. 

For the past 19 years I have maintained the tested stocks in an aphid-protected 

glasshouse. When I ceased trading I gave bulbs from this material to Bruce 

Robertson who had been assisting me and then started his own nursery. This 

operation folded a year or two later and there were a few years when I could not 

find someone to take on the stocks commercially under aphid protection. 

I was very glad to be able to persuade the Border Belles’ nursery to do the 

job, particularly since they had a background in plant health. Chris came down 

with me to see their premises and generously offered to assist with the provision 

of an aphid-proof house, while I donated the stocks. After the cessation of the 

partnership I do not know whether the stocks are still under protection. 

50

Top left, ‘Helen North’, Above left, ‘Beguiling’, Above right, ‘Ariadne’. 

Fortunately, when I replied to Peter’s e-mail, I was able to inform him that one of 

the Border Belles, Kirstie McManus, still had his original stock, in the aphid-proof 

house Chris had assisted with, and was aiming to offer bulbs, commercially, from 

this autumn onwards. 

The work of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens 

(NCCPG), which was founded in 1978, has led to the creation of over 600 

national collections of plants that might have been lost to people with an interest 

in gardening. Heather Berger and her NCCPG colleague, Elizabeth Harrison, 

were not only close friends of Chris and Marie North, but they also played 

an important part in establishing the national collection of North Hybrids at 

the National Trust for Scotland’s Branklyn Garden, in Perth, to which Heather 

modestly alludes in the following paragraph. 

I first met Chris North in the 1980s by which time he had retired from Mylnefield 

and active lily breeding. As neighbours my husband and I became frequent 

51

visitors at New Mill, often summoned to sample some of his excellent home-baked 

bread and his latest wine discovery. These occasions invariably involved active 

discussion on all manner of subjects – politics, philosophy, gardening, the arts, 

climate change – punctuated with precarious expeditions down his somewhat 

precipitous garden to inspect a treasured cypripedium or lily coming into bloom. 

When I ordered some of his lilies for my own garden, I told Chris that I hadn’t 

been able to get ‘Marie North’, named for his wife, but had been sent ‘Bronwen 

North’ as a substitute. “Oh, never mind”, said Chris. “Bronwen’s my sister, she’s a 

much better doer. Marie does tend to creep”. Chris never really recovered from the 

death of his beloved Marie. Two days before his own death our local NCCPG group 

went on a visit to Branklyn Garden to look at the recently established collection of 

the Mylnefield lilies. It was characteristic of Chris’s modesty that he suggested this 

name for the lily collection rather than the North lilies. Whatever their name, they 

remain a beautiful and lasting testament to a delightful man and a dedicated 

horticulturist. 

On the 7 July 2007, approximately two years after Heather’s and her NCCPG 

colleagues’, visit to the Branklyn Garden to view the national collection of 

Mylnefield lilies, the Chair of the RHS Lily Group, Pat Huff, presented the Lily 

Cup to Branklyn’s Head Gardener, Steve McNamara. Unfortunately, I was unable 

to attend the presentation ceremony, as I was variously searching for species 

lilies in California and attending the NALS Convention in Alberta (see pp. 70-79). 

However, while at the NALS Convention, I was actively involved in proselytizing 

about North Hybrids and, as indicated earlier, found willing converts to the 

cause of introducing these lovely plants to more gardens in North America. 

Furthermore, I had deployed my wife, Christine, who as a friend of Chris and 

Marie’s and an admirer of his lilies was a willing deputy, to report on proceedings 

and take photographs. Peter Waister, who has played such an important part in 

conserving North Hybrids, was able to attend, but, unfortunately, Kirstie McManus 

was not. However, she made up for her absence by sending a pristine array of 

North ladies and Greek gods for everyone to appreciate and, if they chose, 

take home as a reminder of a day when those who respected Chris North as an 

exceptional hybridizer and valued him as a friend came together to celebrate his 

life in the national collection of his flowers. 

52 

★ ★ ★

A celebration of Branklyn Garden 

– a living tapestry – 

Steve McNamara writes about the garden created by John and 

Dorothy Renton during the first half of the twentieth century which is 

now the home of the National Collection of Mylnefield lilies. 

RANKLYN WAS CREATED in 1922, when John and Dorothy Renton bought the land 

Bfrom 

a neighbour, Mr Aitkin, whose family owned the Orchardbank Nursery. 

They initially purchased around ½ acre on which they built Branklyn House. 

They later made two further acquisitions to the south, so extending their garden 

to the final two acres. 

Dorothy Renton had been interested in botany since childhood. From land 

knee-deep in bishop weed, thistles and convolvulus evolved a hard tennis court, 

an ornate pergola and rose-beds. This was soon abandoned as an embarrassing 

mistake. What sort of garden did John and Dorothy Renton create? John 

described himself as the designer, and his wife was the real gardener. Dorothy 

has said, “The garden has evolved gradually and the principal aim has been to 

give plants the proper conditions – it is primarily a home from home for plants.” 

There were three major influences that helped Dorothy and John Renton to 

channel their ideas and to produce a garden of international acclaim. First, there 

was their clear interest in the Sino-Himalayan flora, second, their enthusiasm for 

complementary plant associations, perhaps influenced by the ideas of Gertrude 

Jekyll. The third development was the concept of peat-wall gardening. 

Dorothy received several awards for her work in connection with the introduction 

and cultivation of new plants. Among them, the RHS awarded Dorothy the coveted 

Veitch Memorial Medal in 1954. The Scottish Rock Garden Club awarded Dorothy 

Renton three Forrest medals for her plant growing abilities. 

The impression of the garden is that John and Dorothy Renton wanted to 

create a little paradise, which could be enjoyed all year round, irrespective of 

flowering plants. 

One of the first things that visitors to the garden notice is the amount of plants 

in a small area. This stems from the legacy of plant collecting from an early stage 

in the development of the garden. The importance of the garden arises from their 

keenness in collecting and crucially recording all their plants and sources. 

The Rentons’ association with many of the plant collectors of the era is well 

documented. George Forrest’s collection of Rhododendron racemosum was a 

favourite of Dorothy Renton because of its good colour and it could be cut back 

on a regular basis. This was and still is a common problem in small gardens such 

53

A group of North Hybrids sent to Branklyn Garden by Kirstie McManus, one of 

the “Border Belles” who still holds some of Dr North’s original stock in an aphidproof 

house. 

as Branklyn. Joseph Rock contributed other seed including Betula albosinensis 

var. septentrionalis that is still growing well today. The main collectors associated 

with the garden were Ludlow and Sherriff. They made several collecting trips to 

Bhutan and S.E. Tibet; among the seed collection were of plants such Paraquilegia 

anemonoides and Stellera chamaejasme. Many of the original plants have died 

out but replacement plants have been obtained and are growing well. 

It is the overall design and plant collection that is so impressive. Visitors today 

will be in awe of the ordered labyrinth of rock gardens, peat areas, herbaceous 

borders and woodland areas. This all blends together creating a continuous 

evolving pattern of plants in which texture and form are as important as colour. 

A garden of this character could easily become a muddle, that Branklyn does 

not, is in part due to the skill with which plants are associated and in part to the 

constant, though subtle changes in style. One of the delights of the garden is that 

anyone visiting can take away ideas for use in their own garden. 

The couple died within a year of each other, and donated the property to the 

National Trust for Scotland in 1968. The Trust remit is to continue to maintain 

the plant philosophy of the Rentons and can ontinually add to the collection with 

new introductions and interesting plants. 

Branklyn now has four National Collections; amongst these are the Mylnefield 

lilies. Peter Waister, a good friend of the late Dr Chris North, donated our latest 

collection. Peter had kept the North lilies in virus free conditions in an aphid-proof 

54

Pat Huff presenting the Lily Cup to Steve McNamara in July 2007. 

environment for many years before handing the collection over to Branklyn. A 

collection was also given to Kirstie McManus a nursery grower who is charged 

with keeping the collection going in virus free conditions. Plants will be available 

to buy at Branklyn and therefore keep the Mylnefield lilies going in cultivation. 

Chris was a frequent visitor to Branklyn and was always complementary about 

the plantings and our standard of maintenance. He was Head of Plant Breeding 

at the SCRI at Mylnefield, Dundee when his work on lily breeding began in 1966. 

Characteristics required from the new cultivars included adaptation of northern 

British conditions and freedom from virus disease, as well as vigour, elegance of 

form, unusual colours and an ability to stand without staking – in short, garden 

qualities rather than suitability for the florist. 

The reasons Branklyn had decided to have the Mylnefield lilies as a collection 

is that they were bred locally therefore the climate in Perth is suitable, they are 

hardy plants resistant to virus, they don’t require staking and they fill a major gap 

in the season of flowering plants, that is after the rhododendrons and meconopsis 

have finished. Branklyn would also like to extend its collection of lilies to include 

as many species as possible given the natural limitations of climate. 

Today due to some fund raising in the past couple of years, we still add about 

200 accessions per year. So, plant collecting is still alive and well at Branklyn. 

Like any garden it is constantly evolving with renovation and renewal done on a 

regular basis that is not surprising after 85 years of plant growth. 

55

56 

Dr A.F. Hayward (1933-2006) 

Dr Tony Hayward, a key member of the Lily Committee, 

was Membership Secretary and Editor of the Group’s publications for 

12 years. Richard Dadd recalls the breadth of Dr Hayward’s interests 

and his many contributions to the Lily Group. 

N 1986 THE LILY GROUP found itself (as it does from time to time) without a 

INewsletter 

Editor. Just when all options had been exhausted the Secretary of 

the Group received a letter from one of its members, Dr Anthony Hayward, a 

recently retired doctor and anatomist, offering to take on this task. For Tony, it 

was the start of an arduous 12-year period carrying out this and many other key 

tasks for the Lily Group. 

At that time Tony and his family were living in Epsom where he was much 

involved in the affairs of the local Garden Society – in particular writing, producing 

and distributing their newsletter. His garden was also opened under the auspices 

of the National Gardens Scheme (the Yellow Book). 

Tony had a life-long interest in wildlife and gardening and, as an only child, 

was rather indulged by his parents. Whilst still a schoolboy he was provided 

with a greenhouse in which to grow his orchids. 

He graduated with a BSc (Special Anatomy) from London University and then 

qualified as a doctor at the London Hospital (Whitechapel). He gained his PhD 

at the Faculty of Medicine in Glasgow, and in 1961 was awarded a Wellcome 

Scholarship to study at the Carlsberg Laboratory in Copenhagen. His subsequent 

career took him to various London hospitals until his retirement. It was whilst 

he was at the London Hospital that he met one of the Staff Nurses, Barbara, who 

later became his wife.

In many ways the Newsletter is the most important publication of the Lily 

Group as it is the main point of contact with members. To be effective it has to 

be informative, well written, and sent out at set times of the year – something to 

be eagerly awaited. Tony’s newsletters were all of those things: they were, by 

common consent, the best that members had ever enjoyed. 

With the rapid growth in membership in the 1980s it became apparent that the 

Secretary’s duties had become too burdensome for one person and would have 

to be divided. Thus, Tony also became the first Membership Secretary in 1988, 

continuing until 1998 when he retired from the Committee. His first task was to 

take over the computerized membership records that the Secretary had set up a 

few years previously, and transfer them to the Lily Group’s own new computer. 

That same year he was also greatly involved with the organisation of the Fritillaria 

Conference (the genus particularly interested him) held at the Chelsea Physic 

Garden. And also, that same year, he moved house from the hurly-burly of 

suburban Epsom to the rural tranquillity of Lowbands in Gloucestershire. 

The following year he also took on the editorship of Lilies and Related Plants 

(the Lily Year Book), producing three splendid issues commencing with the 

Proceedings of the 5th International Lily Conference in 1989. 

There were three strands to Tony’s life: his family; his work (teaching and 

research); and gardening (including competitive showing, lecturing and editing 

books). His catch phrase was “Make a difference!” He was quiet, thoughtful and 

attentive to detail - ideal qualities for the particular tasks that he undertook and 

so ably carried out. But, although undemonstrative by nature, he would plainly 

speak his mind when he thought it necessary. It was the Lily Group’s good 

fortune to enjoy his many contributions to its work for so long. 

Throughout his life Tony loved sharing his knowledge through giving talks. 

These were always delivered extempore and, when his memory started to fail, 

rather than use notes he gave up lecturing altogether. He died in January 2006 

– ironically not from Altzheimer’s disease but from mesothelioma, probably 

contracted during the refurbishment of one of the many hospitals in which he 

worked. He is survived by Barbara, a son and two daughters. 

Dr Anthony Frederick Hayward, anatomist and plantsman 

Born 27 December 1933, died 16 January 2006 aged 72 

57

Lily ‘Connecticut King’, the cultivar 

first purchased by the author when 

he was 14 years old. 

58 

Growing lilies in Switzerland 

Pontus Wallstén has modified and updated the article which first 

appeared in the Lily Group spring 2006 Newsletter, in order to include 

more recent and up to date information about his Swiss lily collection 

and exciting additions made to it since then. 

EFORE GOING INTO DETAILS about the various lilies I grow, and how I became 

Binterested 

in them, I will start with a brief introduction: where I live and the 

climate we have in Switzerland. 

I live in the French speaking part of Switzerland, bordering France, in what 

is called the “bassin lémanique,” which is basically a big plateau, which lies 

between the Jura Mountains and the Alps. The only problem with this basin is 

that the soil is clay based throughout, and does not have very good drainage, 

meaning that when it rains constantly for a week for instance, it’s easy to end up 

with a few scattered ponds around the garden. Therefore, plants such as lilies, 

which require excellent drainage, have to be planted in beds with an improved 

soil structure. 

It would be very difficult to summarise what kind of climate we have, because

it can be extremely variable from year to year, in that some winters for example, 

can be very mild, with almost no frosts, others can be extremely cold, with 

temperatures going down to minus 15°C. However, usually, autumns and winters 

are fairly mild, with temperatures from 10 to minus 5°C, and springs can be quite 

wet and alternately cold or warm. Summers are usually very warm and dry. 

Sometimes, we get what they call “Indian summers” which are autumns where 

the temperatures rarely go below 15 to 18°C for many weeks. 

The lilies 

I have been growing lilies since 1999, when I purchased my first three lily bulbs 

at the age of 14. They were bulbs of an asiatic lily hybrid, the golden yellow 

and orange ‘Connecticut King’, which has, since then, established itself profusely 

here in my borders in my parents’ garden. I guess that I must have over 30 of 

them now. 

When they flowered for the first time at the end of June 1999, I was struck by 

the grace and beauty of the flowers, and that autumn, realised that ‘Connecticut 

King’ was not the only lily in existence, and purchased a few more hybrids. In 

the spring of 2000, I bought my first lily species, two bulbs of Lilium speciosum 

rubrum. By then, I had started to become more and more interested in lilies, and 

had started documenting them in increasing detail. 

Time passed, and in June 2001, I went on a hike in the Jura, and next to 

the road, my eyes caught sight of a marvellously strong and vigorous Lilium 

martagon, with over 20 large deep pink flowers, on a stem over 150 cm tall. I 

think that it was at that moment that my real interest in lilies, and lily species, 

began. 

I then started collecting lilies properly, first with the species commonly 

available at the time in Swiss garden centres, such as Lilium pumilum, 

L. martagon, L. henryi, L. regale and L. lancifolium. However, for me, that was 

not enough. I had been bitten by the lily fervour, and wanted rarer lilies for my 

collections. I therefore started buying lilies from France and the UK, by mail 

order, and got my hands on sumptuous lilies, such as ‘Black Beauty’, and species 

such as Lilium leucanthum, L. superbum and L. canadense. Since then, my lily 

collection has been growing at a rapid rate, with lilies from all over the world 

joining my collection each year. In January 2005 I ordered lily bulbs from China 

for the first time, bulbs of excellent quality, but the origins of which are not 

always certain to be from nursery raised plants, and might be collected in the 

wild. Since then, I have ordered a second time and most bulbs have flowered, 

and I have been fairly lucky in that approximately ninety per cent of the bulbs 

that flowered were in fact the correct species. (Bulbs that come from China are 

sometimes mislabelled or wrongly identified). 

59

Lilium regale and asiatic hybrids flowering in the author’s parents’ garden 

in Switzerland. 

The lily season usually starts for me around the end of May, with Lilium 

pyrenaicum, L. pumilum, L. lijiangense, and L. bulbiferum var. croceum, and 

ends at the end of September, with the last few flowers of Lilium speciosum 

rubrum and L. rosthornii. 

I now feel that I should concentrate a little more on the title of my article, which 

after all, is entitled “Growing lilies in Switzerland”. I have therefore decided to 

divide all the lily species I grow into their original locations, and go group by 

group, writing about how well they grow here in Switzerland. 

Chinese and Japanese lilies 

I will begin with the group that has done best overall, the Chinese and Japanese 

lilies. I grow several of these species, including Lilium regale, L. rosthornii, 

L. bakerianum, L. davidii, L. leucanthum, L. sargentiae, L. speciosum rubrum, 

L. duchartrei, L. gloriosoides, L. lankongense, L. lancifolium, L. pumilum, 

L. taliense (perhaps var. kaichen), L. lijiangense, L. majoense, L. xanthellum luteum 

and L. sulphureum, as well as a species I think might be Lilium brownii. 

All these species spread profusely by various means (offsets, stem bulbils and 

60

A Chinese species of lily from Chen Yi - possibly Lilium davidii, growing 

in Switzerland. 

seed). They seem to have nothing against the wet winters and warm summers. 

However, there are two exceptions, Lilium henryi and L. medeoloides which 

seem to be very sensitive to winter wet and over watering, and many of my bulbs 

often end up rotting after one season. However, I think that I have now solved 

part of this problem, by planting my L. henryi in a border which is half covered 

by a roof edge, which keeps away excessive rain during winter. This clump of 

henryi is now doing very well, one stem reached 180 cm this summer. 

I find that L. henryi does best when left undisturbed, in half shade so that 

the flowers do not get too bleached by the strong summer sun. In 2007 I also 

managed to grow Lilium medeoloides successfully for the first time, in a rich, 

slightly acid soil in half shade. Lilium regale often erupts very late, in about 

early or mid May, but then grows at a very rapid rate, and is often in flower by 

the mid- end of June. Lilium lancifolium (tigrinum), which is known to flower 

late, in August and September, flowers early in Switzerland, often towards mid 

July. I grow the usual variety, as well as lancifolium ‘ Forrestii’ (a taller variety 

with larger, more pointed flowers) and the double variety ‘Flore Pleno’. Lilium 

leucanthum, L. speciosum rubrum and L. rosthornii are late flowering, often not 

starting to flower before mid August, and continuing long into September. 

61

European and Middle Eastern lilies 

With the Middle Eastern and European lilies, I have had moderate success. 

Lilium bulbiferum var. croceum grows and spreads very well, and so does 

Lilium pyrenaicum to a certain extent. However, both these species have for 

unknown reasons started declining in recent years, growing much shorter and 

rotting away. 

Likewise, Lilium martagon and L. candidum tend to rot very easily unless 

perfect drainage is provided. Lilium martagon seems to enjoy warm sunny sites 

rather than half shady and moist ones, where growth can often be destroyed by 

what seems to be fungus. 

Lilium carniolicum was unfortunately very sensitive to rotting, and even 

though perfect drainage was provided, my two bulbs rotted after a bit more than 

one season, not having flowered or produced any strong growth. 

The two bulbs of Lilium monadelphum that I acquired five years ago 

characteristically sulked for a season, producing no above ground growth, and 

then rotted away the following season. Lilium pomponium, a very nice rarity 

from the south of France seems to enjoy growing in full sun in the very well 

drained acid bed together with the USA lily species which I will talk about later 

in the article. 

Lilium callosum and L. pseudotigrinum from Russia do very well. Both seem 

to enjoy fairly open, sunny sites, with excellent drainage and not too much 

water. Lilium pseudotigrinum, a recently discovered species from Russia, similar 

to tigrinum but with slightly larger and differently shaped flowers, is also a very 

tolerant lily, standing strong storms, heat and rain. 

Lilies from India, Taiwan and Vietnam do well overall. They seem to like the 

warm summer temperatures, as long as they can get enough water, in order 

not to dry out. Lilium formosanum pricei can be very ephemeral, the bulb only 

flowering for one or two seasons, but when it does grow, it does so very well, 

and has no problems growing in a medium sized clay pot in full sun. Lilium 

nepalense likes wandering along with its stolons for a very long time before 

emerging, often in mid to late May. (I once had to dig up a bulb of Lilium 

nepalense and replant it when I discovered that, after having wandered sideways 

for about 30 cm it had started to grow downwards, in a large wooden pot. I 

thought that had it been able to continue growing this way, it would probably 

never have found its way out! 

Lilium primulinum burmanicum seems to be very sensitive to summer 

dryness, and unless a very cool, half shaded, moist spot is provided, it often dries 

out. I also tried Lilium majoense one year, but with little success. The bulb grew 

a small 15 cm stem and then rotted the following winter. Since then, I have had 

moderate success with it. In 2006 I had a L. majoense bulb from Chen Yi which 

62

gave one flower, but the bulb unfortunately rotted that winter. I think L.majoense 

needs excellent drainage, and may even have to be covered in winter to keep 

away excess water. 

In 2005, I also tried a newly introduced rarity from Vietnam, Lilium poilanei. This 

lily, which produces a very large fragrant trumpet, that is white within and purple 

red on the outside, grew very well in a humus rich soil, planted in a sunny site, but 

with its stem roots shaded by perennials. It produced a large number of offsets. 

North American lilies 

Finally, I come to the North American and USA species, which include some 

of my favourite lily species, but also, the ones I have had the most problems 

in growing. These lilies, for the most part, are so well suited to their original 

climates, that unless these conditions can be recreated, I find that they tend to 

dry out, or rot, or simply sulk for many seasons, never producing any growth. 

This is the case with Lilium canadense, which I have now been trying to grow 

for six years, in both acid and neutral soil, in a sunny and half shaded position, 

but it never seems to want to produce any above ground growth or roots, and 

the rhizomatous bulbs often disintegrate and disappear. A Lilium canadense that 

I grew this year from a bulb obtained at the Lily Group bulb auction grew well, 

however it mysteriously totally died away just a few days after I had sprayed 

it with a general insecticide against some aphids which were attacking it. Two 

others are growing in a more shaded part of the garden, where they produce 

stems, but no flowers. However, I will not give up growing this species, since it 

is one of my favourites. 

I have also been trying to establish one of my favourite lilies, Lilium superbum, 

since 2001. However, when I purchased some magnificent large Lilium superbum 

bulbs at the Lily Group bulb auction in October 2005, grown by Tim Whiteley, 

I realised that the problem with my past attempts at growing this lily was that 

the bulbs I had been buying had been far too small and weak to be able to root 

and establish. They were also much more sensitive to dryness and rot, since they 

never really had any strong root run. The bulbs from Tim Whiteley did much 

better, flowering regularly every July. It is a shorter variety of Lilium superbum, 

only reaching about 180 cm tall. To combine this variety with the taller ones 

might be something to try this autumn? Lilium pardalinum and Lilium volmeri 

seem to be two USA species that adapt fairly well to the Swiss climate, growing 

well, but quickly going dormant when the temperatures become too warm or too 

dry for their taste. Lilium pitkinense grows fairly well, but has not flowered yet. 

It seems to dislike dry conditions, preferring moist, half shady ones. 

Last autumn I finally got my hands on some very good bulbs of Lilium 

washingtonianum and L. washingtonianum purpurascens. They were young 

63

A group of asiatic hybrids and two North Hybrids - on the right is ‘Eros’ growing in 

the author’s parents’ garden in Switzerland. 

seed raised bulbs, so they have not flowered yet. However, they grew very well 

in an acid bed in full sun with excellent drainage. 

One lily group member from California to whom I showed pictures of the 

young plants said that those L. washingtonianums were looking very good, so I 

am hoping that their needs for a dry summer and autumn will be met this year, 

and they survive the winter and flower next year. As I am writing this, at the end 

of August 2007, the summer in Switzerland has not been as sunny and warm 

as usual, and as a consequence of frequent rain, I unfortunately lost one of the 

Lilium washingtonianum purpurascens bulbs, which rotted. However, the two L. 

washingtonianum are still fine, one just about going dormant now. This might be an 

indication that L. washingtonianum is slightly easier to grow than var. purpurascens, 

even though I have read that it is purpurascens which is meant to be slightly easier 

to grow. 

In the same border, which is almost entirely reserved for USA lily species, I 

also grow Lilium michiganense, which so far seems to do well in full sun, but 

64

Left, Lilium callosum has the widest 

distribution of any east Asian lily but is 

rarely seen in cultivation. 

and above, L. poilanei is a rare species 

from Vietnam. 

has produced no flowers yet. Lilium kelleyanum grew moderately well, since it 

seemed attacked by a virus, which resulted in deformed growth and flowers. But 

I am waiting to see if the same happens next year before throwing it away. Some 

other USA species also grow in the bed, such as Lilium parvum hallidayi and 

Lilium parryi from the lily group bulb auction. They seem to grow well, apart 

from some brown spots on the leaves. This might be a virus, but might have been 

formed by the inconsistent alternating warm and cold, sunny and rainy weather 

we had this spring and summer in Switzerland. The Lilium parryi bulbs planted in 

another bed in half shade, and covered by a fern seem to be doing much better. 

Lilium grayi did very well in its first year, flowering profusely but not reaching 

more than 60 cm. However it seems to be a lily which is very difficult to maintain, 

since it only produced one stem with one flower in its second year. 

Lilium kelloggii is a bit tricky. It rots very easily and did not seem to like 

65

growing in half shade, so I have now moved my only surviving bulb to the drier 

acid bed in full sun, in the hope that it will do better there. With the dryland lily 

species, I find that incorporating pine needles together with the ericaceous acid 

soil improves the drainage a lot, and also acidifies the soil a bit further, which 

some of these lilies like. 

I have also tried Lilium columbianum, which, for five years, has only produced 

one small leaf per season. This may be because the bulb I purchased was too 

young, and simply needs a few years to reach full flowering size. 

I think that overall, my climate might be too dry for some of these lilies to be 

able to thrive. (The Lilium canadense grown in Geneva Botanical Gardens also 

seem to suffer a bit from the very warm and dry summers. It is, after all, a plant 

which, in the wild, grows by streams and bogs in North America, where summer 

temperatures are rarely as warm as the Swiss ones. Our record in 2005 was 38°C 

in August, a summer temperature which is not rare, especially in August, which 

is considered the warmest month in Switzerland). 

Hybrids 

Concerning the hybrids, the asiatic hybrid lilies grow profusely, and spread like 

wildfire in my borders. (Four years ago, I purchased a bulb of Lilium ‘Citronella’, 

which was a little bit smaller than a golf ball. When I dug it up a few years later, 

while I was improving the drainage of my border, it had become the size of a 

clenched fist. Lilium ‘Orange Triumph’, an old asiatic hybrid similar to Lilium 

bulbiferum, needs excellent drainage to do well, flowering in early June with 

gleaming orange, slightly scented flowers, opening from hairy buds. 

The North Hybrid lilies, although becoming rarer to find, do very well overall, 

with hybrids such as ‘Eros’, ‘Bronwen North’, ‘Angela North’ as well as some 

unidentified orange and cream North Hybrids flowering profusely in June and 

July, often producing over 20 flowers per stem. 

I also grow oriental hybrids such as ‘Stargazer’ (one of my favourite lilies) and 

‘Casablanca’ as well as some recent OTs such as ‘Faros’, ‘Conca d’Or’ and ‘Yellow 

Stargazer’. However, I find that many of the oriental hybrids start declining after 

a few years, and can be very sensitive to rotting. In recent years, they have also 

started flowering much earlier, in late June and July, instead of in August as they 

used to do. An interesting anecdote about ‘Yellow Stargazer’ is that after having 

flowered profusely in June, it all of a sudden started growing a new shoot at the 

end of August. Hopefully this new stem will flower before the first frosts! 

Concerning the trumpet hybrids, these grow very profusely, and 

make huge bulbs in time. They have also broken the records amongst my lilies in 

all categories, with one stem of ‘Royal Gold’ producing 25 flowers, and another 

stem reaching 206 cm. 

66

Species hybrids such as Lilium x dalhansonii and ‘Theodor Haber’ do very 

well in full sun in acid and neutral soil, flowering in early June. Lilium ‘Black 

Beauty’ also grows very well, liking all types of conditions, regularly flowering 

every year. 

Lilium x dalhansonii broke the record this June in my lily collections, with 

three stems bearing over 30 flowers per stem, flowering for nearly a month. A 

very magnificent lily indeed, grown from bulbs obtained at the Lily Group bulb 

auction in 2006. 

In the summer of 2005, I improved the drainage of my main border, where 

I grow most of my lilies, dividing it into three main parts, The North American 

and USA part, the middle eastern part and the Chinese/Japanese part, in which 

I now grow plant and lily species from all these places. In the autumn of 

2005, I acquired several sumptuous lily species, such as Lilium kelloggii, L. grayi, 

L. pitkinense, L. kesselringianum and L. carniolicum. 

In 2005, I wrote the following as a conclusion to this article: “However, there are 

still many lilies that I am looking for my collection. I think that some of them are 

almost unfindable, (Lilium catesbaei, L. polyphyllum, L. canadense var. editorum, 

L. washingtonianum purpurascens and L. kelleyanum, to state a few). However, 

I will persist and look for these, after all, I am only 20, and have (I hope) a long 

life of lily growing in front of me…” 

I am now 22, and since this article was written, I have moved to England, to study 

film and TV production at the University of Westminster for three years. Being a 

bit more than half of the year in the UK has also meant that I have more easily 

been able to find new and exciting lilies to bring back to Switzerland, with many 

specialist nurseries around, and of course, the Lily Group bulb auction, where I 

get a lot of jewels. This has meant that the list of species that I am looking for is 

gradually becoming smaller. I now have Lilium washingtonianum purpurascens 

and L. kelleyanum which I had on my “unfindables list” in 2005. But this does 

not mean that I have obtained all the species I am looking for. Some unfindables 

have remained unfindables, such as Lilium humboldtii var. occelatum, Lilium 

catesbaei, L. canadense var. editorum, L. polyphyllum and L. rhodopeum. I think 

that some of these are very rare in cultivation, and the easiest way might be to get 

hold of wild collected seed from somewhere. Since one of my aims is to grow all 

the species I want by the time I am 30, that leaves time both for searching and 

for seedlings to grow to flowering size! 

67

68 

Alisdair Aird 

Harris Howland writes a few notes on the recipient of the 

RHS Lily Group Lyttel Cup. 

HAVE BEEN GROWING LILIES now for nearly 50 years and have met many lily growers 

I from all around the globe, but I have to say that Alisdair Aird is one of the most 

accomplished growers of species Lilium that I have ever had the pleasure to 

meet. Some of my early recollections of him are in the initial days of ‘Lilies from 

China’ (Chen Yi) and Alisdair collecting some weird and wonderful material, not 

always what he expected. However, he achieved great success with many of 

these lilies, some of them rare and some of them new species. 

Alisdair started growing lily species from bought bulbs in large pots, in a 

south-facing bed-sitting room when he first moved to London after leaving 

college, in 1963. The pots lived below a big bay window, growing up into the 

light as they flowered, and were a huge compensation for living in a city instead 

of the country. 

A few years later he discovered how easy it was to grow lilies from seed. In 

the early 1970s, sharing an allotment with Helena Wiesner (to whom he is now 

married), he grew a long row of Lilium regale. He was (and still is) a member 

of the Alpine Garden Society as well as the RHS, and gradually tried one or two 

other lily species from seed from their distributions. 

He joined the Lily Group after seeing the marvellous displays of lilies staged in

the 1970s by the group at the RHS Halls in London, and was inspired by the very 

wide range of different species shown then. The arrival of the group’s seed list 

quickly became what it is now for him - one of the most eagerly awaited events 

of the year. 

He edited the consumer reports magazine Which? in the 1970s, started Holiday 

Which?, and later set up the research and consumer policy side of the UK’s 

National Consumer Council. His 1972 book The Automotive Nightmare was the 

first analysis of the car’s impact on society, the environment and climate. He now 

produces annual guide books including The Good Pub Guide, which is the UK’s 

best-selling annual travel/leisure guide. 

He and Helena lived in London for a couple of decades, moving house once. 

In each garden they built a greenhouse in which lily seedlings and pots of some 

tender species had to do their best alongside an eclectic mix of tomatoes, chillies, 

melons, cucumbers, orchids, primulas and tender cyclamen species. 

He was a founder member of the Cyclamen Society, and served a term as its 

chairman, during which he initiated an ambitious research programme which has 

included many botanical field trips to study and record cyclamen species in their 

natural habitats, and which (in conjunction with the relevant national authorities 

under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) has 

introduced interesting new material into cultivation. He also edited that society’s 

Journal for many years. 

He and Helena now live in Sussex, where he grows a wide range of lily 

species mainly grown from seed, in raised beds in a sheltered environment. He 

also grows a few in their garden - notably some fine stands of Lilium pardalinum, 

but his repeated attempts to plant out lilies in their small wood are invariably 

foiled by the marauding deer. They share a house in south-west France with 

Helena’s brother (L. henryi tolerates the hot thin soil over chalk quite well there), 

and a house in the extreme south of Greece with his own sister (an attempt to 

establish L. chalcedonicum there has so far been discouraging, although it grows 

wild only a few miles away, but L. candidum is looking promising). He is an 

enthusiastic member of the Mediterranean Garden Society, growing an increasing 

number of plants native to areas with hot dry summers and winter rain, and in 

2006 organised a trip to Rhodes for the MGS, with 40 participants from seven 

countries. 

He has always tried to return as much seed as possible to the Lily Group’s 

seed distribution, seeing this as a crucial activity for the Group. In addition to 

his lily growing accomplishments Alisdair is also a very fine photographer and 

his enlarged prints of lily species have graced many of the Lily Group’s display 

stands at the RHS London shows. Altogether this makes Alisdair a most worthy 

recipient of the RHS Lily Group Lyttel Cup. 

69

70 

On the road in search of lilies 

Last summer Alan Mitchell travelled to America to see lilies 

growing in the wild. 

EADERS OF A CERTAIN AGE and literary taste will recognise that the “On the Road” 

Rpart 

of the title of this article is an allusion to Jack Kerouac’s classic tale of 

roaming around America. However, at this point let me allay any concerns about 

what might come next, as the trip I made was, thankfully, short on rebellious 

behaviour and existential angst, but full of encounters with most of California’s 

beautiful species lilies and some of their perhaps slightly wayward, but naturally 

occurring, hybrid offspring. 

The metaphorical road, that preceded the journey of over 1500 miles in search 

of lilies, began when I met Charlie Kroell, at the 2004 RHS Lily Conference, and 

mentioned the words, L. henryi var. citrinum. This yellow variety, of the orange 

type of L. henryi has a strong fascination for Charlie, as has the legend that it is a 

hybrid which was originally discovered in a garden in Melrose, Massachusetts in 

1925. Whatever the truth of the matter, i.e. species, variety or hybrid, it was this 

“mystery”, debated through the exchange of many lengthy e-mails, that enabled 

Charlie and me to further develop the friendship that began when I uttered those 

fateful words. 

Although lost in the mists of time, which seem to roll ever closer to the present 

as the years advance, I assume it was during a lull in the citrinum debate that 

Charlie suggested I might enjoy what he called a “lily chase” in California. As 

he knew about my preference for species lilies, rather than hybrids, he thought 

the prospect of seeing a number of western American species growing in their 

natural environments would appeal to me. As the trip would also involve driving 

through the Canadian Rockies, en route to the NALS Convention in Edmonton, 

which, for someone who has been hill walking for over 30 years, would be 

like driving through Nirvana, if that isn’t a sacrilegious thought and/or practice, 

I e-mailed Charlie to count me in. The other two members of the lily chase 

foursome were Barbara Small (a native Californian whose local lily-knowledge 

was essential to the trip’s success) and Kathy Andersen (who had just returned 

from plant hunting in China). Although many months had to pass, between 

Charlie’s initial proposal and meeting him, and his wife Marijean, at Detroit 

Airport, the time was put to good use through his meticulous planning of flights, 

accommodation and other details. It was only when I witnessed him precisioncutting 

a breakfast pancake that I realised Charlie could not have organised the 

essentials of the trip any differently. 

Prior to flying to Reno, to meet Barbara and Kathy, I spent some time at Charlie

and Marijean’s house, in Troy, Michigan where I was treated with consideration 

and genuine kindness, rare things in a world where private entitlement seems to 

be rapidly replacing any finer human impulses. Ever the organiser (and coming 

from someone who is pretty disorganised that is meant as a compliment) Charlie 

had already arranged visits to the gardens of some of his friends. Betty Sturley, 

an artist friend of Charlie’s after whom he named a particularly stunning henryi 

hybrid, had a plant of L. michiganense in flower, which was a fine introduction 

to the many American species I was yet to see, appropriately growing in its home 

State. After visiting Betty’s garden, we moved on to the garden of Rimmer de 

Vries, a young man I took to immediately, but I’m not sure if it was because of 

personal vanity, as he proffered his copy of the 2005 NALS Yearbook and asked 

me to I inscribe something meaningful on the article I had written about Chris 

North, or if it was the excellent selection of ales he asked me to sample, as a 

fellow aficionado of choice beers. Prior to appreciating Rimmer’s ales, however, 

he took us to see the garden of his friend, Jacques Thomson, wherein I had 

my second encounter with L. michiganense, which had flowers of a richer red 

than Betty Sturley’s, an example of variation within a species that became more 

apparent when considering species like L. kelloggii and L. pardalinum in their 

natural, Californian, habitats. 

After a brief, but eventful, stay in Michigan, Charlie and I headed west to Reno 

and the actual start of the lily chase. I should indicate that, prior to the start of 

my North American sojourn I wasn’t sure why he called our proposed search for 

lilies a “chase”, as the plants I grow are all static. However, by the time I had 

returned to Scotland, after nine flights and 2,500 miles driving, I was much more 

in-tune with the reason for Charlie’s phraseology. 

The flight to Reno was uneventful, as was – thank goodness – passing 

through airport security. After collecting our rental vehicle, a fairly large 4x4 

with excellent air conditioning – essential in temperatures that, except for part 

of a day spent in drenching Scots mist on the Pacific coast, ranged from 30 to 

40°C – we were knocking on the door of Barbara Small’s house in not much 

more than the twinkling of an eye. Feisty and focused is how I would describe 

Barbara, or Barb as she is generally known, hence it wasn’t long before we 

were heading across the Nevada/California State border, by way of Verdi, as in 

Guiseppe Verdi, (but pronounced to rhyme with pie) to locate our first lily of 

the trip, L. chrystalense. For those readers who do not recognise this American 

species there is an explanation, i.e. this lily has not yet achieved specific rank, 

but if Barb has her way it will, as she feels it is different enough from L. parvum 

and L. pardalinum not to simply be labelled as a hybrid of those established 

species. This lily grows in restricted oases beside streams and aspen trees, which 

are, typically, surrounded by high desert terrain. 

71

Mount Shasta, rising to 14,162ft was the dramatic backdrop to part of the author’s 

summer lily chase. 

The following day we set off for Pole Creek to look for L. parvum. 

Unfortunately, all but one of the plants we found were still in bud and the plant 

that was flowering was fasciated. However, luck was with us, as we headed 

north to Yreka, when we found a number of L. parvum and L. pardalinum 

growing in a roadside ditch. Although somewhat unromantic as a name, “ditch 

lilies” does accurately describe L. parvum and L. pardalinum (and others of their 

ilk) in relation to their inclination to grow and flourish in the boggy habitats man 

creates through the process of building roads. The “chicken or egg” question 

is, were the ditch lilies there before the roads were built, or did they colonise 

these ideal habitats after the roads were built? The next lily we encountered was 

L. washingtonianum. Again the plants were growing beside the road, not in a 

ditch, but near the top of a slope in very dry, loose soil. This would appear to be 

the perfect growing environment for this lily, as, in the words of Dr Albert Kellogg 

(after whom L. kelloggii was named), “At no time have I met with a plant of this 

species in a soil the drainage of which was not perfect and when found on a 

slope did not face towards some point between east and south.” I can’t swear to 

72

Above, Alan Mitchell photographing an unusual yellow flowered form of Lilium 

kellogii, with the photo that he took (inset). 

the exact orientation of the plants we found, but I can aver that the flowers were 

of a pure and lustrous white and very sweet of scent. I know it’s not impossible 

to grow this lily in the UK, as it grows in the Branklyn Garden in Perth, which is 

about 30 minutes drive from where I live in Fife. What is, apparently, impossible 

is finding an American supplier of bulbs of L. washingtonianum, or any of the 

other more challenging Californian species, e.g. L. rubescens, L. bolanderi and 

L. kelloggii. Having trawled the Internet on more than one occasion all I 

have been able to find, among myriad fairly uninspiring hybrids, are the less 

challenging L. pardalinum and L. superbum. 

After watching a spectacular 4 July fireworks display, outside our Motel in 

Yreka, we discussed the plan for the morrow, which was to backtrack to Mt 

Shasta city to look for L. shastense and then to take the road to Mt Shasta in the 

hope of finding more L. washingtonianum. In common with most committed 

lily hunters, we were on the trail of our first lily of the day before we had eaten 

breakfast. If asked, I would say there are two things I’ll remember about the 

park in Mt Shasta city. One is L. shastense, a lily that was growing in a muddy, 

heavily shaded environment surrounded by thickets of what looked like a giant 

version of the Common Horsetail and the other is the source of the Sacramento 

73

iver whose broad meanders we had crossed and re crossed getting here and 

whose significant impact on the landscape seemed hard to reconcile with the 

insignificant stream that emanated from a modest hole in the ground in the 

corner of this municipal park. After a hearty breakfast at a local Diner, we took 

the road that leads to Mt Shasta. It wasn’t too long before one of us spotted 

some lilies by the roadside. After parking our vehicle under a tree, some shade 

being necessary as the temperature was about 40°C, we walked back to where 

some L. washingtonianum var. purpurascens were growing through Manzanita 

plants, their tough protectors against grazing deer. The furnace-like heat and 

resulting hard and parched soil certainly exemplified dry-land lily conditions. 

The miracle was that something so fine and, apparently, so delicate could take 

such punishment. I theorised, to myself, that, below ground, there might still be 

some residual snow-melt moisture that enabled the bulb to counteract the grilling 

effect of the sun on the stem and flowers, but I would have needed a pickaxe to 

reveal the bulb and test my theory and, apart from any ethical considerations, all 

I had with me was a plastic spoon! 

When we arrived at Orleans, having driven north, again, from Mt Shasta, we 

checked-in to the Orleans Mining Co., a Motel that proved to be as intriguing 

as its name. Among its other attractions, it had what, with a stretch of the 

imagination, could be called a museum of mining tools and other dusty artefacts, 

but I was disappointed to find that there wasn’t even a trace of Orleans’ most 

famous denizen – Bigfoot! Bigfoot or the Sasquatch, as well informed readers 

will know, is America’s version of the Abominable Snowman or Yeti and he, 

she, it ??? was first observed near Orleans in 1958. Sadly, despite driving many 

miles through the backwoods above Orleans in search of lilies, I, again, found 

no trace of Bigfoot. However, the temperature was between 30 and 40°C, far too 

uncomfortable for someone to be wandering about in a gorilla suit I suppose. 

Not bumping into Bigfoot was disappointing, but the many lilies we saw, as we 

looped north from Orleans into the wooded hills of Humboldt County and then south 

to pick up the road that took us west to Eureka and the Pacific coast, were a glorious 

compensation. The first and last species we encountered was L. rubescens, but while 

the first plants were, characteristically, upward facing with tepals that fell gracefully 

downwards, the last plants had tepals that were more rigid which gave the flowers 

a star shaped appearance. The second species we found was L. kelloggii, a happy 

accident that came about because we missed the turn off to Onion Lake. Another 

unexpected bonus was to find a yellow form of L. kelloggii, albeit with a single 

insect-damaged flower, which our resident expert Barb had never seen before and 

which none of the standard lily reference books mention. Back on track we were 

soon at Onion Lake, which was far more beautiful than its prosaic name suggests, 

and investigating some plants of L. pardalinum, L. wigginsii and their hybrid 

74

progeny. Although there was no debate about the identity of the L. pardalinum 

plants we found, or that some of the plants growing nearby were hybrids, Barb 

was not convinced that the pale orange lilies we also found were L. wigginsii, as 

she felt the flower of this lily should be yellow. However, the L. wigginsii I grow in 

my garden and photographs of this lily I have seen in reference books are almost 

identical in colour to the lilies growing beside Onion Lake. Unfortunately, I’m not 

yet in a position to compare my own naturally occurring hybrids, between my 

L. pardalinum and L. wigginsii, with the photographs I took of the Onion Lake 

hybrids, but this should be possible in a year or two when it will be interesting to 

see if the flower colours relate. As two parents are required to produce hybrids 

and Barb wasn’t convinced about the non-yellow L. wigginsii, she postulated that 

L. kelloggii might be the mystery paramour of L. pardalinum, but as all of the 

Onion Lake lilies were growing in a water meadow and L. kelloggii is a dry land 

lily I had to beg to differ with that suggestion. The next lily we encountered, after 

leaving the tranquil shores of Onion Lake, was L. bolanderi. This is a much sought 

after, dry land, lily that has very pretty outward facing campanulate flowers, which 

Derek Fox has described as vinous or brick red in colour. The glaucous sheen of 

the stem, leaves and flower buds further enhance this lovely lily. 

By the time we reached Eureka, on the Pacific coast, the hot sun had been 

replaced with a chilly low-lying wet mist that reminded me of Scotland. When 

we headed south to Table Bluff, the next day, the pleasure of seeing about a 

dozen flowering plants of L. occidentale was tempered by the dreich (damp and 

depressing) morning. I have always thought the Scots have the best words to 

describe unpleasant weather, dreich being one of the more evocative – I wonder 

why that is? L. occidentale, so named because it is the most westerly American 

species lily, is much prettier than its relative L. pardalinum. On the outside of 

the flower the tepals are recurved, narrowly delicate and deep crimson, while the 

inside of the flower contrasts the deep crimson with a yellowish centre decorated 

with maroon spotting. This is a very rare lily, which had some protection, from 

wire netting, but it is a moot point as to how effective this will be in denying 

the appetites of the deer we saw scampering off, as we approached the breach 

in the fence around the sanctuary perimeter. Fortunately, local conservation 

efforts are in place, at a plant nursery nearby in Kneeland, so the future for 

L. occidentale may be more hopeful than it at first appears. Apparently, this 

lily is not difficult to grow in the UK as Patrick Synge, in his book Lilies, refers 

to Dee Simmons and Oliver Wyatt as testifying. However, that was many years 

ago, so I think the opportunity to grow this lily currently could be far less likely. 

After we had visited the nursery at Kneeland we headed west until we found a 

number of plants of L. kelloggii flowering by the roadside. Although identified 

in reference books as a dry land lily, these plants were growing in a lushly 

75

76 

North American Pacific Coast 

lily species: 

below left, Lilium bolanderi; 

left, L. washingtonianum; 

above left, the star-shaped 

flowers of L. rubescens and 

above, L. kellogii (in colour 

similar to L. wardii); 

above right, a pink-flowered 

L. parvum; 

above far right, L. occidentale, 

a very rare lily growing within 

earshot of the Pacific Ocean, and 

right, a spectacular group of 

L. pardalinum. 

Below, Kathy, Charlie and Barb 

at the Orleans Mining Co Motel, 

in Bigfoot country.

forested area that was heavily carpeted with moss, which was obviously subject to 

regular rainfall. When compared with the rock-hard soil conditions we had found 

L. kelloggii growing in near Onion Lake, this suggests a lily that is more tolerant of 

the vicissitudes of rainfall (more or less) than the reference books indicate. The 

other interesting aspect about L. kelloggii was the variation in flower colour, from 

very pale to a deep rose pink (similar in colour to L. wardii). When the yellow 

variant (mentioned earlier) is added to this range, it’s a wonder the “splitters” 

have accepted that these variations are all expressions of the one species. By 

the time we drove back to the coast and headed north past Trinidad (a pleasant, 

vaguely neo-hippy town) the Scottish weather had become more appropriately 

Californian, i.e. the sun was shining, and we encountered our last roadside lily, 

L. columbianum. As time was pressing, we had a limited opportunity to appreciate 

this pretty, slightly recurved orange lily before we had to head south to Sacramento. 

Up with the lark (or its American equivalent), the last day of the lily chase found 

us heading north-east to our starting point, Reno. En-route we visited a graveyard 

in a place called Georgetown in the hope of seeing L. humboldtii in flower, but 

unfortunately the flowers had past. But I did think what a splendid lily to have 

growing on your grave – none better perhaps. Our luck seemed to be leaving 

us when we thought we had missed all of the L. parvum in flower in a ditch area 

that had once been a guaranteed source for this species. However, we did find 

one stem with a few flowers of a lilac pink colour, which was immeasurably better 

than nothing. As we didn’t have sufficient time to search for plants of L. parvum 

var. hallidayi, Barb decided we should re-visit the stands of L. pardalinum we 

had admired on the first full day of the lily chase. It would seem that she must 

have had a premonition of something special in making this suggestion, because 

among the, probably, hundreds of orange flowered plants growing on both sides 

of the road there were a few (five or six) plants that were sporting yellow flowers. 

The question is why? Another question is how do the yellow flowered lilies 

maintain their colour-integrity when this must surely be under threat through 

cross-hybridisation from the army of their orange relatives that surround them? 

Unfortunately, I neglected to suggest to Barb that she should, at a later date, collect 

seed from the yellow flowered L. pardalinum plants, as it would be interesting 

to discover whether the seedlings produced yellow flowers, exclusively, or some 

yellow and some orange as does L henryi var. citrinum. Discussing this interesting 

find kept us fully occupied until we reached Reno and the end of our six-day, 

1500 plus mile lily chase, during which we found ten species and some interesting 

hybrids in perfect flowering condition. 

In retrospect, and as a seasoned (or old if you prefer) hill-walker, i.e. someone 

who is used to parking his car, walking to his objective, climbing it and then 

walking back to his car, I found the modus operandi of most of the lily-chase 

78

somewhat decadent, in that we parked beside or nearby lilies and with the 

minimum of physical effort observed them, photographed them and then drove 

on to the next location. Although it was very convenient that most of the lilies 

we found were growing by the roadside, I couldn’t help but wonder at their 

possible incidence and distribution away from the roadside. Starting from a 

group of roadside lilies, it would have been interesting to have organised a posse 

of hill-walking lily chasers and had them fan out over a few kilometres with the 

objective of recording the location of any lilies they found, to be discussed when 

the posse met at an agreed point on the map. This information could then have 

been transcribed into an excellent and informative article for NALS members with 

an interest in indigenous species lilies. Later, when I put this suggestion to David 

Sims at the NALS Convention, he said he thought it should be done as both the 

activity and the results could be very interesting. 

Another lily-related topic I discussed with David and Charlie was the concept 

of maintaining national collections of plants. David had previously informed me 

that he was an admirer of the concept, so I questioned him as to why there is 

no national collection of American species lilies, as this could raise the profile of 

these beautiful and diverse plants and, concomitantly, the desirability of growing, 

the two dozen or so, indigenous lilies. I also asked Charlie for his views on this 

matter. Their answers seemed to highlight a difference in gardening tradition 

between the UK and the USA, where the former country seems to have favoured 

the concept of national collections more than the latter. Both David and Charlie 

also pointed to the preference for hybrids among American lily growers, as these 

are easier to deal with and more adaptable, to the climatic variations across the 

states, than are indigenous species. However, I was left wondering if, with interest 

and motivation, it would really be beyond the bounds of possibility to locate a 

garden(s), in a more or less temperate state(s), that could be landscaped into 

environments to approximate to the requirements for dry and wetland lilies? I have 

to admit to a selfish motive, in promoting the development of a national collection 

of this nature, as the interest I hope it would generate might lead US lily nurseries 

to stock all of the indigenous species – not just L. pardalinum and L. superbum 

– whereby I could add to the 11 American species I grow currently. 

Time marches on inexorably and it is now almost four months since I said 

goodbye to Charlie, Barb, Kathy and David at the end of the NALS Convention 

in Edmonton. Although, as indicated in the second paragraph of this article, I 

had met Charlie at the RHS Lily Conference in 2004, I had not met Barb or Kathy 

before we arrived at Barb’s house in Reno. Yet, we all got on well with each 

other, so as the American’s say “how come”? I’m not sure what the answer is, 

but perhaps it’s a tribute to our shared interest in the lovely quarry of our chase 

– the lily. Or, perhaps lilies just make nicer people of us all. 

79

80 

Erythronium 

In April 2007 the Lily Group had an erythronium week-end, visiting 

both Greencombe in Somerset and Knightshayes Court in Devon. Here, 

Brian Mathew records some random notes on a fascinating genus. 

HE RHS ACCOLADE OF AGM (Award of Garden Merit) is a useful contribution 

Ttowards 

the assessment of a plant’s value as a ‘good garden plant’. Of 

course there are drawbacks as with any such scheme, the main one being the 

variability of local conditions. While an AGM plant should be known to thrive 

in most regions of the country there may well be places where it will languish 

due to adverse climatic or soil conditions. A few years ago there was a trial of 

Erythronium at Wisley, a worthy attempt to assess which were the outstanding 

ones from a garden point of view. Taking only aesthetics into account one would 

probably state that all species are beautiful, although one might hold back in the 

case of the very rare but minute E. propullans or the prolifically increasing but 

shy-flowering E. americanum (nice leaves, though!). Others, notably the higher 

altitude western North American species, are tricky to cultivate in many parts of

Left, Erythronium multiscapoideum forms large colonies by producing stolons, here 

in Magalia, Butte Co., California and has a ‘many-scaped’ appearance (inset). 

Above left, E. oreganum is slow to increase vegetatively but is probably the finest 

of the white-flowered species, here in Douglas Co., Oregon; above right, E. helenae 

– the large yellow zone in the centre of the flowers, the yellow anthers and slender 

filaments help to distinguish this from other white-flowered species. 

the UK, requiring the generally cooler conditions to be found in the north. These 

two factors – aesthetics and ease of cultivation – are important in the overall 

assessment for an AGM. So, even before the trial it was predictable which ones 

might be eligible. 

Western North-American species 

One of course stands out and that is the clone of E. californicum known as ‘White 

Beauty’. This is undoubtedly beautiful, grows with enthusiasm given slight shade 

and a deep, humus-enriched soil and, very importantly, increases vegetatively at a 

reasonable pace by producing offsets. It is this last characteristic that perhaps calls 

into question its attribution to E. californicum as plants grown from wild collected 

seeds of this species do not appear to have the same useful character. However, in 

all other respects it seems to be well within the range of morphological variation 

of this Californian species. It was Carl Purdy who gave one of his selections the 

name but whether the clone widely cultivated today is the same as his original 

is hard to say. Coloured illustrations from his catalogues of the early twentieth 

81

century suggest otherwise as his ‘White Beauty’ is shown with a zone of purple 

markings in the centre of the flower whereas today’s has orange-brown markings; 

this discrepancy could however be due to the degree of accuracy of the original 

artwork and/or the quality of the colour printing in the catalogue. 

The other western North American species that produce offsets are 

E. tuolumnense and E. multiscapoideum, and it appears that the relative 

newcomer, E. taylori, might also behave in the same way. The yellow-flowered 

E. tuolumnense is a superb garden plant, rapidly forming clumps and with several 

bright yellow flowers in a raceme. It is little surprise that hybrids between it and 

‘White Beauty’ (‘Pagoda’ is the most widespread in cultivation) are even more 

prolific with offsets, although lacking some of the grace of both parents. The 

species is quite restricted in the wild so is unsurprisingly not strikingly variable 

but there are a few worthy of comment. Some plants of E. tuolumnense have 

noticeably undulate leaf margins, others slightly glaucous grey leaves instead 

of the usual clear, bright green. ‘Spindlestone Surprise’ is excellent, although to 

try to define in words exactly what it is that identifies the clone is difficult; the 

flower colour seems a rather clearer, brighter yellow and it is possibly flowers 

more freely. The exciting discovery E. taylorii, described in 1985, also appears 

to increase fairly well and consequently looks as if it might qualify as a ‘good 

garden plant’. Although not unlike E. tuolumnense in general appearance the 

flowers are white with large yellow centres, so large that one might equally refer 

to them as yellow with white tips to the tepals. 

The third of these ‘offset-producers’, E. multiscapoideum, has a choice of 

epithet I have always admired. It was chosen by the eminent nineteenth century 

American botanist Albert Kellogg and is exquisitely precise in its meaning; it 

distinguishes between ‘multi-flowered’ (there are several suitable epithets for 

this such as multiflorum, pluriflorum, polyanthum, etc.) a condition where there 

would be several flowers borne in a raceme on a common stem or scape (e.g. 

in some Erythronium, Fritillaria, Lilium) as opposed to ‘many-scaped’. In E. 

multiscapoideum the individual flower stalks (pedicels) are long and appear to 

arise at or below ground level thus giving the impression that each plant has 

more than one scape. This may not be apparent in weak or young plants which 

tend to have only one flower anyway. Although it appears that on publication 

the epithet was spelled multiscapideum (it was first described in 1855 in the 

genus Fritillaria) I wonder if that was just a ‘typo’ in the original manuscript 

for it doesn’t seem to mean anything in that form whereas the ‘-oideum’ suffix 

in multiscapoideum indicates ‘like’ or ‘as if’ many-scaped. All that aside, this is 

an attractive white-flowered species which produces stolons rather than offsets 

attached to the parent bulb so is more patch – than clump-forming. The variant 

from the Pulga Bridge area of Butte Co., California, loosely known as “Cliftonii” 

82

or Cliftonii Group in gardening circles, is horticulturally distinct in that it flowers 

noticeably earlier, in fact one of the earliest of all erythroniums, and in my 

experience does not have the same propensity to produce stolons. 

The unique pink E. revolutum is perhaps the most prolific species in Britain, 

especially in the higher rainfall western side of the country. One can see large 

drifts in many gardens ranging from the south-west (for example Knightshayes) 

all the way up to north-western Scotland at Inverewe. As a wild plant it is also 

widespread in a north-south direction at fairly low altitudes from Vancouver 

Island to California, and it is very variable. The species is almost entirely 

seed propagated so named variants are not clonal although some breed true 

enough and have been given cultivar status. So, we have dark pink ones named 

‘Johnsonii’ (this was originally described as a species) and other shades such 

as ‘Knightshayes Pink’, ‘Pink Beauty’, ‘Rose Beauty’, etc. Species such as this 

create a dilemma for those assessing the merits of a plant for the AGM. Should 

the award be given to the entire species encompassing all its variations, even if 

some might be less pleasing than others, or should only ‘the better’ variants be 

acknowledged? There is no real answer but the matter can usually be resolved by 

asking oneself: ‘would I throw out any form of E. revolutum on the grounds that 

it was inferior?’ In this case I suspect that the answer from most people would be 

a resounding ‘no way’! This question does not arise in the case of E. hendersonii, 

another western American species which is more restricted in distribution in 

southern Oregon and northern California. It varies only a little in the depth of 

pale lavender-violet of its flowers which have a distinct dark violet eye in the 

centre, a unique colour combination in the genus. As a result of this comparative 

uniformity I am unaware of any named cultivars. As with E. revolutum there is 

little tendency for the bulbs to produce offsets, so seeds are the only practical 

method of propagation. 

All the species mentioned so far are from western North America and, quite 

frankly, that is where the most striking species occur. Of the remaining species 

from that region one could mention a few other very desirable ones which are easy 

to cultivate, notably E. oregonum. Although superficially similar to E. californicum 

(mottled leaves and white flowers, usually with a zone of dark markings in the 

centre) the two are distinct and a check on the width of the stamen filaments 

will clarify any uncertainty: slender throughout their length in E. californicum but 

wide and flattened at the base, tapering to the apex in E. oregonum. For many 

years there has been in cultivation in Britain a variant known as “Sulphur form”, a 

pleasing variation with pale sulphur-green flowers. Unfortunately the stock came 

without an indication of provenance so I was intrigued to find it also in a garden 

in Oregon and, on enquiring, was told that it was the form from Kelley Butte. 

Only detailed field studies will shed further light as to whether any botanical 

83

Above left, Erythronium umbilicatum flowers more freely in cultivation than its 

relative E. americanum. Above right, E. caucasicum is a distinctive plant from 

Caucasia and Iran. Below left, E. tuolumnense has a rapid rate of increase quickly 

forming clumps, here at Italian Bar, Columbia, California. Below right, 

E. hendersonii has unique flower colouring here in Jackson Co., Oregon. 

84

Above, Erythronium propullans. The flowers of 

this rare species from Minnesota are usually less 

than 1cm long. Above right, a leaf of E. revolutum 

showing the mottled pattern confined to the 

area between the main veins. Right, a leaf of E. dens-canis showing the random 

pattern of mottling, cutting across veins. 

recognition is justified but it is certainly distinct as a horticultural subject. Another 

Californian species is among those I rate highly: E. helenae. Again it is not unlike 

E. californicum with white flowers and mottled leaves but here the flowers have 

a large yellow zone in the centre and the stamens (anthers) are yellow (white in 

E. californicum). This is named after Mount St Helena, not Washington State’s 

Mount St Helens which blew its top so spectacularly in 1980. 

Eurasian and eastern North-American species 

The Eurasian species are, of course, delightful garden plants although less 

spectacular than the western American ones. But of course E. dens-canis does 

have an AGM, awarded to the species as a whole. I find that the bulbs of the 

named commercial clones tend to split up and form non-flowering clumps so it 

is necessary to try to counteract this by digging them up frequently and feeding 

with a potash-rich (e.g. rose) fertilizer. Plants from wild stocks or seeds tend to 

flower much more freely but the rate of increase is slower. To collect seeds one 

has to move fairly quickly for, as with Galanthus, Sternbergia and Cyclamen, the 

seed pods touch the ground and ants will soon remove the contents, attracted 

by a fleshy appendage or (in the case of Cyclamen) a sugary coat. Interestingly 

the Eurasian and eastern North American species of Erythronium behave in this 

way but the western ones all have upright capsules whose seeds are distributed 

85

when there is disturbance by wind or maybe passing or grazing animals. There 

is a detailed article on the subject of ants and seed dispersal by Art Guppy in a 

recent Bulletin of the North American Rock Garden Society (Vol. 65, 3: 2007). The 

Eurasian and eastern North American species have another feature in common and 

that is the way in which the leaves are mottled. In the former group the blotching 

is in a rather random pattern, often cutting across the main veins in the leaf, 

whereas in the case of those western American species which do have mottled 

leaves the darker or lighter stains are in the spaces between veins. Returning to 

E. dens-canis, one of its great attributes is its variability in flower colour – hence 

the reason for the several named clones – from white through shades of pink to 

deep purple or violet; some populations are fairly uniform, others very mixed. 

The late Kees Sahin has remarked (personal communication) particularly on 

the extreme variation in Romania. The Caucasian/north Iranian E. caucasicum 

is very similar in morphology but has some distinguishing characteristics; it is 

usually the first erythronium to flower and normally has creamy-coloured flowers 

with a yellow centre. Perhaps there is a case for dismissing it as a geographical 

race of E. dens-canis but there is actually little to be gained in sinking it. This is 

easily cultivated but I cannot say the same for E. sibiricum which does not take 

to the climate of south-eastern England; I haven’t tried keeping it in the ‘fridge 

for the winter, often a useful ploy for growing high altitude or cold climate bulbs. 

Although again, this is clearly allied to E. dens-canis it has some distinguishing 

features, especially of the stamens and stigma. The far eastern E. japonicum has 

attractive dark jagged markings in the centre of the otherwise purplish flower, and 

the stamen filaments are different, so it too is distinctive among the Eurasians; it 

is somewhat easier to grow than its Siberian relative although I have only ever 

achieved small clumps and have not seen impressive plantings of it elsewhere. 

The eastern American species should not be lightly dismissed for they do 

have what is often referred to as ‘quiet charm’ and the leaf mottling is particularly 

attractive. In Britain we find that the light intensity is often too poor early in 

the year to encourage the flowers to open properly, certainly in the case of 

E. americanum, E. albidum and E. mesochoreum. Choosing a spot under 

deciduous trees where they will receive maximum sunlight is the best bet – 

or place a cloche over them at the appropriate moment. Being stoloniferous, 

propagation is not a problem with these and one can get quite a sizeable colony 

in a short space of time. My own favourite of these is E. umbilicatum which 

although very similar in overall appearance to E. americanum does, I find, flower 

more freely and is less stoloniferous. I await the flowering of E. rostratum (grown 

from seed) with interest as it is very rare in cultivation in the UK. The great rarity, 

as a wild plant, is E. propullans and for this reason I will strive to maintain and 

distribute it: but of this I am sure, it will never receive an AGM! 

86

Trumpet lilies 

Walter Erhardt writes about the history of this group of lilies. 

HE TRUMPET LILIES ARE, due to their high bud count, good garden plants. Provided 

Tyou 

have a light soil – they are robust and fool proof. 

The description for lily hybrids from division VI is misleading, as they are not 

all funnel or trumpet shaped. Pod and turban shaped blooms are also common, 

depending on the ancestry of the particular parent species. 

The development of the trumpet lily began by accident. In 1903, the renowned 

English plant-hunter E. H. Wilson found Lilium regale, the regal lily, and 

L. sargentiae in the Chinese province of Sichuan. It was not until 1910 that 

sufficient quantities of these bulbs came into Europe and the USA to allow 

propagation of the species to begin. 

At the Farquhar nursery in Massachusetts both species stood so closely side 

by side that cross pollination occurred and a natural hybrid of both Lilium regale 

and L. sargentiae as parents originated in 1916. It was named L. x imperiale and 

its appearance was deemed to be in between both parents. Later this hybrid was 

often repeated, for example by Isabella Preston from Ontario. She called her 

most successful seedling ‘George C. Creelman’, and later this same cultivar was 

frequently used by continental breeders in their hybridisation programmes. 

In 1913, Professor F. Scheubel was carrying out some experimental hybridisation 

crossing Lilium regale and L. sulphureum. Using L. sulphureum as the mother 

parent he obtained seedlings similar to L. regale, but blooming two weeks later 

and having a greenish throat. The stock was sent to England and was sold by 

businesses as L. x sulphurgale. Professor J. W. Crow, also from Ontario, started 

hybridising L. x sulphurgale and ‘George. C. Creelman’; the Crow hybrids thus 

obtained were then sold under the name L. x glorosium. These hybrids had a 

greenish throat and their white was more ivory coloured. As America began to 

crossbreed these hybrids with L. x imperiale, the outcome was a plant 150 to 

270 cm tall, white, with a dark chocolate coloured exterior. 

The actual breakthrough came in 1925, when E. Debras in New Orleans was 

experimenting to see if he could obtain a hybrid between Lilium sargentiae and 

L. henryi. Two lilies could not have characteristics more opposed: the first having a 

white funnel-shaped flower, the other being an orange turk’s-cap lily. This hybrid 

was named after the Latin name for the city of Orleans. Lilium x aurelianense or 

aurelian hybrid and it bloomed for the first time in 1928. Coincidentally L. Fritsch 

in Rastatt in Germany, developed exactly the same hybrid in 1932, never having 

heard of aurelian hybrids before. 

By backcrossing with its parent hybrids and continuing to add other funnel 

87

Above, Lilium ‘Schokolade’ the best red-brown trumpet that Heinz Boehm bred. 

Below, L. ‘Henryjka’ was bred by Bretislav Miculka in the Czech Republic, and can 

reach 1.30m in height. 

88

Two beautiful trumpet hybrids. 

Above, ‘Jamaika’ will grow to about 1.20m and 

Below, ‘Fetis’ is another of Miculka’s hybrids that grows to just under a metre. 

89

shaped hybrids, a variety of different aurelian hybrids was developed. These 

breeds are rarely affected by disease. At most they are sensitive to late frosts, 

which can impair their flowering. Carl Feldmaier, the German lily breeder, 

describes the aurelian lilies as extremely fool proof. 

Pink trumpets with trumpet shaped blooms developed following specific 

selection processes. L. N. Freimann from Washington noticed pink petals on one 

of his seedlings. He crossbred the hybrid over several generations, selecting 

the best seedlings for breeding, until he finally obtained lilies with fuchsia pink 

petals. The disadvantage was that the third generation was greatly weakened by 

the interbreeding, so he was forced to backcross it with Lilium regale until he 

was finally able to sell the “pink trumpets”. 

This programme took 15 years. The “king lilies” were developed in a similar 

way. In 1941 Freimann sowed some Lilium x gloriosum seed; amongst the 

seedlings he found one that was cream-coloured. After five years of back-crossing 

and much selection the “golden regales” were introduced in 1946. When one is 

talking of yellow and golden trumpet lilies, one breeder must not be forgotten 

– Jan de Graaff from the Oregon Bulb Farms. In 1934 the Dutchman emigrated to 

America, he bought land and planted narcissus and iris bulbs. At the same time, 

lilies fascinated him, so he collected whatever he could get and bred selectively. 

From de Graaff’s selection came the white hybrids that are divided into two 

groups: the “mountain-hybrid” that have a touch of green and the classic white 

“Olympic-hybrid”. 

Trumpet lilies are usually divided in four main groups: the ones with Chinese 

trumpet flowers (6a), the ones with cup or pod shaped flowers (6b), the ones 

with hanging flowers (6c), and, finally, the ones with star shaped flowers (6d). 

Trumpet lilies are easily grown in a humus-rich sandy soil, with their heads 

in the sun and feet in the shade. Due to their high bud count, trumpet lilies are 

more suited to the garden than to the cut flower trade, which has not made wide 

use of trumpet lilies because of the problems involved when transporting the 

plants (buds easily damaged…etc). Trumpet lilies, as previously mentioned, can 

be very free flowering. One variety (‘Heidelberg’) produced 66 flowers! Another 

hybrid, ‘Glockenturm’, was photographed with 30 flowers. 

Trumpet lilies are rarely found in florists. For the garden however a wide range 

of different new hybrids are now available, making it worthwhile for everyone to 

try for themselves. 

The Editor would like to thank Pontus Wallstén who assisted with the translation of this 

article which was kindly undertaken by Gesa Hille. 

90

Commercial lily production in tunnels to protect the crop from chilling winds and 

field grown bulbs in the foreground in Western Australia. 

A lilium delight – Downunder 

Charles and Lee Reynolds write about their commercial lily farm, 

Florescence Quality Cut Flowers, in Albany, Western Australia. 

LORESCENCE QUALITY CUT FLOWERS was originally established in Albany 2001, 

Fundergoing 

considerable expansion before winding down in late 2003, when 

we bought it. Since then we have developed it into an effective small business 

producing an average of 1000 bunches of lilies per week. 

Both Lee and I have gone through a very steep learning curve as our life 

before the farm was as officers in the Australian Army. I also have to be honest 

and say that we only looked seriously at this business because we wanted a true 

‘sea change’ in a seaside city that provided good educational opportunities for 

our two girls (we were originally on the other side of the country in Canberra). 

We did not consider the business because we had any background or knowledge 

in lily farming! 

The farm itself is situated 10 minutes from Albany. It consists of 4.2 ha of 

land, with plenty of water (something unusual for Australia at the moment) and 

an infrastructure capable of operating a moderate sized floriculture business. 

The primary product produced is lilies, although zantedeschias (calla lilies) are 

also grown and we have planted some 350 cherry trees. 

91

Table 1: Albany Long-term Averages 

92 

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual 

Mean Max (ºC) 22.8 22.9 22.2 20.8 18.5 16.5 15.7 16.2 17.2 18.4 20.3 21.9 19.5 

Mean Min (ºC) 15.0 15.3 14.6 12.7 10.6 9.0 8.1 8.3 9.2 10.3 12.3 13.9 11.6 

Mean Rain (mm) 23.6 23.1 38.3 68.8 119.2 132.7 143.9 127.1 101.5 80.0 43.5 29.5 931.0 

Mean Rain (days) 7.7 7.5 10.9 14.0 18.3 20.2 21.5 21.1 18.4 16.5 12.3 9.4 177.6 

The Western Australia lily market 

Lilies in Western Australia are mostly all sold through a few wholesalers in Perth 

and from there onto florists, although there are sales through supermarket chains 

and an ever growing number of farmers markets selling direct to the public (we 

are involved in two that give a wonderful opportunity to engage with our local 

community). 

By world standards, Western Australia is a relatively small market. Estimates 

indicate the market takes around 4,000 bunches a week of asiatic and LA hybrid 

lilies, and a smaller number of oriental lilies (about 3,000 bunches) and longiflorums 

(perhaps less than 300 per week). The asiatic and LA hybrid lilies are usually put 

into mixed bunches by florists while the orientals and longiflorums are generally 

used for weddings or displays in restaurants, hotels, etc. The demand for asiatic 

and LA hybrid lilies increases when other bright flowers such as gerberas are out 

of season over winter, while oriental and longiflorums demand is higher during 

the wedding season; spring through to early autumn. Demand for all flowers 

increases for special occasions such as Mothers Day, Valentines Day and before 

Christmas. 

Lilies have a reasonable profit margin in Western Australia (much higher than 

those grown in the Eastern States) and are relatively easy to grow in season 

– especially asiatic and the LA hybrids lilies. The challenge is growing them all 

year, especially orientals in winter. 

Growing lilies in South Western Australia 

Perhaps one of the greatest issues we have had as we built up our own skills 

and re-established and developed effective business and horticultural processes 

has been finding relevant advice. Being the only commercial lily farm outside 

the Perth region, we have often felt like pioneers, finding out on many occasions

Table 2: Perth Long-term Averages 

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual 

Mean Max (ºC) 30.6 31.2 29.3 25.9 22.4 19.2 18.3 18.6 20.0 22.7 26.2 28.7 24.4 

Mean Min (ºC) 17.7 17.9 16.5 13.8 10.9 8.8 7.8 8.0 9.4 11.0 14.0 16.2 12.7 

Mean Rain (mm) 18.1 5.7 23.5 28.1 98.5 148.4 154.6 135.9 89.6 45.6 21.0 5.2 779.3 

Mean Rain (days) 2.0 2.1 4.8 6.5 12.4 16.7 17.7 16.2 14.9 9.6 5.9 3.8 113.6 

Based on data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology 

how to do things through the school of ‘hard knocks’. Growing lilies in South 

Western Australia has provided us with a number of specific challenges, very 

different to any other place in the world. To start with, the land is very sandy 

with a low nature soil PH of 4.5. Being sand it is quick to leach and growing 

conditions can be difficult with strong cold winds from the Antarctic during the 

August and September period. On the other hand, our summers are much milder 

than those experienced in Perth, often described as Mediterranean (see tables 

1 & 2) and we live and work in one of the most beautiful parts of Australia, the 

value of which can never be underestimated. 

The previous owners, although putting in some sound infrastructure, grew mainly 

during the natural season and even then, not in huge numbers. Even now we 

cannot be viewed as a big grower, cropping just over 300,000 lilies a year. To 

meet year round challenge we are reworking our 4000 m 2 of plastic tunnels into 

a hot house. The wonder of growing here is that by removing the wind chill 

and retaining warmth during the day, there is no need to have any other heating 

system other than that provided to us by Mother Nature. 

To resolve the low soil pH (a good level should be around 6), we have used 

lime and regularly add peat and well-composted materials. This has helped 

increase the pH around 5.8 and our asiatic and LA hybrids do very well. Our 

orientals are not quite as tolerant of even small drops in pH and we now plant 

these in plastic crates with potting mix (although this is expensive and reduces 

our profit margin by around 10% per bunch). 

As we refuse to use chemicals to fumigate the soil (this is still allowed in 

Australia), we grow field peas in rows that lie fallow. This helps clean the soil, 

give it a nitrogen boost and gives the soil bulk when rotary hoed into the row. 

93

94 

Above, the OT Hybrid, ‘Conca d’Or’, 

below, two oriental hybrids 

‘Rosy Dawn’ (right), and 

‘La Mancha’ (left). 

Left, ‘Ceb Dazzle’ in rows and above 

left, crate-planted oriental lilies. 

Opposite page are asiatic and LA 

hybrids in one of the large 

production tunnels at Florescence 

Quality Cut Flowers in Albany, 

Western Australia.

We also use a combination of cow manure and trace elements to develop the soil 

before planting. This is added to during the growing period with drip fed PK (soon 

after bud development). All our planting is done by hand, as is the picking. 

To reduce the problem of leaching, our watering is done in a number of short 

bursts throughout the day. A great advantage of lilies is that they are surface 

feeders; collecting most of their nutrients from their stem roots, their base roots 

providing stability and water uptake. This ‘burst’ water technique is an effective, 

efficient and environmentally responsible way of watering (reducing the chance 

of fertilisers leaching into the ground water). We also use a soil/water conditioner 

that allows the water from the dripper tapes to spread evenly over the whole 

row, rather than going straight down. 

Our bulbs for most of the year come from Holland. These are stored in 

a freezer at -1.5° Celsius until required. However, with a shelf life of around 

eight months after arriving in Australia, orientals need to be sourced from New 

Zealand or Chile for the October to January period and we grow many of the 

asiatic and LA hybrids for this period ourselves. 

Another issue that faces us is that we have much higher summer light than 

most other places in Australia. This means that, although our average temperature 

is perfect for growing, stems are often short with very large flowers. As the 

commercial market pays on stem length (60/70cm is the optimum), this poses a 

problem. To overcome this we whitewash the roof of each tunnel and this year 

will also reduce the light further by hanging shade cloth inside. 

95

Lily varieties 

We have tried many varieties: some have been very successful and others not 

so good. Table 3 shows many of the varieties and we have made comments on 

each as to how successful we have been with them. 

Table 3: Lilium Varieties 

ASIATIC AND LA HYBRIDS 

‘Ceb Dazzle’ - LA Hybrid (yellow) P Always good 

‘Gironde’ - Asiatic (yellow) P 

‘Golden Tycoon’ - LA Hybrid (yellow) P 

‘Pavia’ - LA Hybrid (yellow) P 

‘Madras’ - Asiatic (yellow) ? Trial 

‘Pisa’ - Asiatic (yellow) O 

‘Tresor’ - Asiatic (orange) P 

‘Gibraltar’ syn. ‘Elite’ - Asiatic (orange) O 

‘Heraklion’ - Asiatic (orange) O 

‘Salmon Classic’ LA Hybrid (apricot) O/P Quick grower, small no. of buds 

‘Top Gun’ - LA Hybrid (light pink) O Great colour 

‘Samur’ - LA Hybrid (strong pink on light pink ground)* P 

‘Brindisi’ - LA Hybrid (purplish red)* O/P small no. of buds 

‘Turandot’ - LA Hybrid (intense pink)* O Very brittle 

‘Royal Sunset’ - LA Hybrid (mixed orange-red) P 

‘Loreto’ - Asiatic (strong orange)* O Too short but great 2? colour 

‘Latvia’ - Asiatic (brilliant yellow)* O Too short 

‘Centerfold’ - Asiatic (yellowish white) P 

‘Prunotto’ - Asiatic (red-orange) P 

‘Ercolano’ - LA Hybrid (white) P 

‘Navona’ - Asiatic (white) O 

‘Aspin’, trade designation SNOWSTORM - Asiatic (white) P 

‘Donatello’ - LA Hybrid (white) P 

‘Courier’ - LA Hybrid (brilliant greenish yellow)* P 

‘Nova Scotia’ – LA Hybrid (yellowish white) ? Trial 

‘Fangio’ - LA Hybrid 70/60cm(red) P 

‘Red Alert’ - LA Hybrid 70/60cm(red) O/P On the lookout for better red 

‘Red Classic’ - LA Hybrid 70/60cm(red) O/P 

‘Freya’ - LA Hybrid (brilliant yellow) ? Trial 

‘Orriolo’ - LA Hybrid (vivid yellow) 

LONGIFLORUM 

? Trial 

‘Zanlophator’, trade designation TRIUMPHATOR 

- LO Hybrid (white/strong pink)* 

P 

‘White Heaven’ Longiflorum (white) P 

* denotes that the colour stated here is that which was given when the cultivar was registered; 

in our experience, under our light conditions the colours are somewhat paler. 

96

Table 3: Lilium Varieties continued 

ORIENTAL 

‘Simplon’ - (white) P 

‘Siberia’ - (white) P 

‘Vespucci’ - (white) P 

‘Rialto’ - (white) P 

‘Expression’ - (white) O/P unpredictable colour slow grower 

‘Arena’ - (white) O/P 

‘Rosy Dawn’ - (pink/white) O/P 

‘Aktiva’ - (strong purplish pink)* ? Trial 

‘Sorbornne’ - (rich pink)* P 

‘Dordogne’ - (pink? purplish red)* P 

‘Trento’ - (pink? purplish red)* ? Trial 

‘Dynamite’ - (pink? red)* ? Trial 

‘Mero Star’ - (pink) O/P Very slow grower 

‘Tiber’ - (pink) P Big flowers 

‘Lombardia’ - (strong pink)* O 

‘Trumao’ (pinkish purple-red) ? Trial 

‘Nairobi ‘ (yellowish white) ? Trial 

‘Red Reflex‘ (rich red) ? Trial 

‘Black Tie’ (rich purplish red) ? Trial 

‘Newton’ (rich purplish red) ? Trial 

‘Striker’ (pink) ? Trial 

‘Navarosse’ (yellowish white) ? Trial 

‘Sapporo’ (Sande) (yellowish white) 

OT HYBRID 

? Trial 

‘Conca d’Or’ - OT Hybrid (yellow) P 

‘Tarragona’ - OT Hybrid (yellow) P 

‘Albany’ ? Trial 

* denotes that the colour stated here is that which was given when the cultivar was registered; 

in our experience, under our light conditions the colours are somewhat paler. 

The future 

Lee and I are very aware that we are still on the learning curve, but with each 

month and a very positive approach to our farm, Florescence will continue to 

produce even better quality liliums. Our eyes are also set on the Calla Lily 

market, as our production for this year will increase from around 10,000 stems to 

over 20,000. The goal with these: to grow them all year round. 

Finally, we would like to provide you all an open invitation to come to beautiful 

Albany and visit on the farm and have a personal tour. We can always be 

contacted by email: sales@florescence.com.au or by phone +61 898411938. 

97

98 

Gilbert White and his lilies 

Jeff Coe writes about the life of the great eighteenth century naturalist 

and the lilies that he grew in his garden at the Wakes in Hampshire. 

T THE END OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY Britain fell in love with nature. Two 

Abooks, 

the History of British Birds written by Thomas Bewick, born in 

Northumberland in 1753 and Gilbert White’s Natural History of Selborne, played 

a large part in this and today Gilbert White is widely recognised as the first 

English naturalist. 

White’s book, first published in 1788, the year preceding the French Revolution, 

has been in publication continuously until the present day. Some sources say 

it is the fourth most published book in the English language. The book is a 

scientific commentary full of observations and records much of which is recorded 

in a series of letters between White and two naturalists Thomas Pennant, whom 

White met for the first time in 1767, and Daines Barrington whom he first met in 

1769. In 1770 Barrington had suggested White write a book and this encouraged 

him to write the Natural History of Selborne. The book is not only of interest to 

the modern day naturalist, social historians will also find much of the detail a 

fascinating commentary on life in a small Hampshire village. 

Two extracts from White’s book The Natural History of Selborne read: “The 

village of Selborne, and large hamlet of Oak-hanger, with the single farms, and 

many scattered houses along the verge of the forest, contain upwards of six 

hundred and seventy inhabitants. 1 We abound with poor; many of whom are 

sober and industrious, and live comfortably in good stone or brick cottages, 

which are glazed, and have chambers above stairs: mud buildings we have 

none. Besides the employment from husbandry the men work in hop gardens, 

of which we have many; and fell and bark timber. In the spring and summer the 

women weed the corn; and enjoy a second harvest in September by hop-picking. 

Formerly, in the dead months they availed themselves greatly by spinning wool, 

1 A state of the parish of Selborne, taken October 4, 1783.

for making of barragons, a genteel corded stuff, much in vogue at that time for 

summer wear; and chiefly manufactured at Alton, a neighbouring town, by some 

of the people called Quakers: but from circumstances this trade is at an end. The 

inhabitants enjoy a good share of health and longevity: and the parish swarms 

with children”. 

And some detail as to the inhabitants of the village: “Total of burials from 1720 

to 1779 both inclusive, 60 years - 640. Baptisms exceed burials by more them 

one-third. Baptisms of Males exceed Females by one-tenth, or one in ten. Burials 

of Females exceed Males by one in thirty. It appears that a child, born and bred 

in this parish, has an equal chance to live above forty years. Twins thirteen times, 

many of whom dying young have lessened the chance for life. Chances for life 

in men and women appear to be equal”. 

Gilbert White was born in Selborne, a north Hampshire village lying just a few 

miles to the southeast of Alton and about 50 miles to the southwest of London in 

southern England, in 1720. The White family moved away that year but returned 

in 1729 and Selborne remained White’s home until his death in 1793. 

Gilbert went up to Oriel College, Oxford in 1740. Five years earlier in 1735 

Carl Linnaeus the Swedish naturalist had suggested a new classification for living 

organisms. White became a Fellow of Oriel College in 1744, was ordained in 

1746 and became a curate. Ten years later in 1756 he was to become the Vicar 

at Moreton Pinkney in Northamptonshire but we have no record of his living 

permanently there. 

Five years earlier in 1751 White had started to keep records of activities in his 

garden and started writing the Garden Kalendar. Later writings included details 

of the flora in Selborne and the surrounding area in Flora Selborniensis. 

The Wakes and the Garden are a very special place. If I ever write the book 

“Britain’s Ten Most Beautiful Gardens” the Wakes will undoubtedly feature. The 

layout and style of the garden is so very attractive and the garden is beautifully 

maintained and the plants expertly grown. Add to this the backdrop of the beech 

woods and the Hanger and the Garden and House have that feeling of peace and 

tranquillity often so hard to find in today’s world. 

The garden has been restored to the layout and style of White’s time in 

the house. The “Six Quarters”, the “Basons” and the vegetable garden are all 

mentioned in White’s writings. He was of course a keen grower of vegetables 

and records of this are well documented. The haha so popular in gardens of the 

time features and a charming seat, the “Wine Pipe” overlooks the house from 

afar. This was constructed from a Portuguese brandy barrel! 

The beech woodlands called “the Hangers” form the backdrop to the house 

and garden. On Baker’s Hill just a short walk from the house Lilium martagon 

grows well and flowers every year in June. The current plants may well be 

99

descendants of the original White plantings. 

The lilies 

Turning now specifically to the lilies of Gilbert White we definitely know that 

he grew five lily species. These are referred to in The Garden Kalendar 1751- 

1777 and The Journal 1768-1793. These lily species are known today as Lilium 

bulbiferum var. croceum, L. candidum, L. chalcedonicum, L. martagon and 

L. pomponium. However, having researched several papers and books, I also 

believe there is a strong probability that Gilbert would also have grown or at least 

been very aware of some of the East Coast American species that were being 

introduced into cultivation in the mid to late eighteenth century. 

Philip Miller F.R.S. writing in 1752 in the sixth edition of his “The Gardeners 

Dictionary Containing the Methods of Cultivating and Improving the Kitchen 

Flowers, Fruit and Pleasure Garden” mentions an American species Lilium flavum 

angustifolium, the spotted Canada Martagon, now known as Lilium canadense 

or the Canada Lily. 

The American botanist John Bartram (1699-1777) sent seed of the following 

lilies to Peter Collinson a keen gardener, seed importer and distributor who 

lived in Mill Hill, to the North of London: Lilium canadense as above, Lilium 

philadelphicum, the orange-cap lily, and Lilium superbum, the American Turk’scap 

lily. White would have known or known of William Curtis founder of Curtis’s 

Botanical Magazine in 1787 which has been published continuously to this day. 

These “leading lights” in the world of plant discovery, importation and cultivation 

would have had contact with each other if not in person at least by way of plant 

lists and catalogues. 

In the descriptions of two East Coast American lilies further into this article 

you will read that although we do not have definite proof that White grew 

the “Americans” we have almost conclusive proof that these new East Coast 

Americans were known to him. 

White would have been unaware of the vast range of species lilies that have 

been arriving from China during the course of the last 150 years or so. Nor would 

he have grown the West Coast American species such as Lilium washingtonianum 

var. pupurascens which provide a real challenge to lily growers in the UK their 

cultivation requiring the cool conditions of the mountains of northern California 

and Oregon with very dry weather from August onwards. 

So let’s take a look at each of the lily species grown by White and those we 

suspect he probably grew or at least was very aware of. 

Lilium bulbiferum var. croceum 

This species is not currently grown at the Wakes although I hope to donate some 

100

ulbs soon. I have seen this lily growing and in flower in sub-alpine woodland 

and also in open pastureland in the Italian Dolomites on the Pordoi Pass and 

near Arabba. A Swiss member of the Lily Group, Pontus Wallstén, reports seeing 

it growing on wasteland near his home on the edge of Lake Geneva. In White’s 

time this lily was also known as Lilium aurantiacum. 

Lilium candidum 

When I was Editor of the Lily Group’s Newsletter I asked Geoffrey Smith if he 

would write an article for me on lilies. Presenter of BBC TV Gardeners World 

in the 1980’s and BBC TV World of Flowers, Panellist on BBC Radio Gardeners’ 

Question Time for 20 years and horticultural and gardening writer I knew 

Geoffrey would write an inspirational article and I was not disappointed. Many 

of us will have been inspired by Geoffrey’s passion for gardening and it will not 

come as a surprise that lilies are one of his favourite flowers. 

He went to North America to make programmes for the World of Flowers with 

Ed McRae one of North America’s foremost lily growers. As part of the article 

Geoffrey wrote: “In the first century A.D. Pliny the Elder wrote in his “Natural 

History” “next to the rose there is no fairer flower or one of greater estimation 

than the lily”. Though some might argue with that statement certainly after seeing 

the “Madonna” lily, Lilium candidum, growing in rock crevices on a sun-baked 

hillside in Northern Greece, an experience surely Pliny must have enjoyed, I 

would count the rose and the lily as equals.” 

Writing about the Madonna Lily in the Modern Herbal Mrs Grieve writes: 

“Medicinal Action and Uses; Demulcent, astringent. Owing to their highly 

mucilaginous properties, the bulbs are chiefly employed externally, boiled in milk 

or water, as emollient cataplasms for tumours, ulcers and external inflammation 

and have been much used for this purpose in popular practice. The fresh bulb, 

bruised and applied to hard tumours, softens and ripens them sooner than 

any other application. Made into an ointment, the bulbs take away corns and 

remove the pain and inflammation arising from burns and scalds, which they 

cure without leaving any scar. The ointment also had the reputation of being an 

excellent application to contracted tendons”. 

Gerard in his Herbal tells us: “The root of the Garden Lily stamped with honey 

gleweth together sinewes that be cut asunder. It bringeth the hairs again upon 

places which have been burned or scalded, if it be mingled with oil or grease. The 

root of a white Lily, stamped and strained with wine, and given to drink for two or 

three days together, expelleth the poison of the pestilence”. Culpepper (1652) tells 

us the bulb was ”an excellent cure for the dropsy”. 

101

A vigorous clump of the Madonna Lily grows in the flower border under Bell’s 

Library Windows at the Wakes and make a wonderful picture every June. 


Grown by White and a real favourite of mine. Native to Greece it is one of the 

oldest lilies in cultivation. Parkinson writing in his Paradisus in 1629 called this 

lily the “Red Martagon of Constantinople” or “The Scarlet Martagon Lily”. This lily 

is beautifully illustrated in Elwes’ Monograph on the Genus Lilium. 

Lilium martagon 

This lily has been naturalised for so long it is almost regarded as a native plant 

in the United Kingdom. As mentioned earlier a good stand of Lilium martagon 

grows on Baker’s Hill at the Wakes and some authorities believe that today’s 

plants are descendants of those grown by White over two centuries ago. The 

flowers of the form grown there are pink in colour. 

Patrick Synge writing in “Lilies, A Revision of the Genus Lilium and its 

Supplements” in 1980 suggests that the word martagon is derived from an old 

Turkish word for a special form of the turban which was adopted by the sultan 

Mohammed 1st. Linnaeus, following the herbalists of the day, adopted the name 

martagon in his “Species Plantarum”. 

Lilium pomponium 

Grown by White Lilium pomponium has long been in cultivation. Linnaeus described 

it in his “Species Plantarum”. This species is not currently grown at the Wakes. 

And turning now to the East Coast North American lilies. As previously mentioned 

we cannot be sure White grew these lilies but he would almost certainly been 

aware of them. Later research may give evidence that he grew them. 

Lilium canadense 

This very beautiful species is not currently in cultivation at the Wakes. White may 

have grown the yellow spotted form but as yet we have no direct evidence to 

link him to this species. 

Lilium philadelphicum 

This species is not currently grown at the Wakes. The huckleberry lily, glade 

lily or wood lily was introduced in the 1600s from Canada. Patrick Synge writes 

“The lily was sent by John Bartram of Philadelphia, the famous American plant 

collector some time before 1757 to Peter Collinson of Mill Hill and to Philip Miller, 

who grew it in the Chelsea Physic Garden”. Here is perhaps the most plausible 

102

suggestion that White grew or certainly knew of the existence of the “new” North 

American lilies. 

Lilium superbum 

This species is grown at the Wakes. Synge writes “Lilium superbum was one 

of the earliest American lilies to be introduced into Britain”. He says that Peter 

Collinson grew it in his garden at Mill Hill and it flowered for him in 1738. A 

specimen in his garden was painted by the German artist Georg Dionysus Ehret, 

perhaps the most famous botanical artist of the period. This painting is in the 

Victoria and Albert Museum in London. As with Lilium philadelphicum White 

would almost certainly have been aware of this species. 

Gilbert White died in Selborne in 1793. He never married. He is buried in the 

cemetery at St Mary’s Church, Selborne. St Mary’s was built in around 1180 on 

the site of a Saxon church. In the gales of 1990 the Churchyard yew tree was 

blown down. White would have known this tree well as it was almost opposite 

his house. The Yew was believed to be 1400 years old. 

White’s life spanned the American and the French Revolutions. The wind 

of change was upon Britain at the end of his life and the day of the Industrial 

Revolution was soon to dawn signalling the move away from a rural economy. 

His writings would be read by Keats and Coleridge. Jane Austen in the Hampshire 

village of Chawton, just a few miles from Selborne, would a few years later write 

her famous novels. White could never have imagined that the well recorded 

observations of a clergyman living in a small Hampshire village with around 600 

inhabitants in eighteenth century England would have been translated into several 

languages, in many separate editions and publications and be read around the 

world. He could never have thought that the Natural History of Selborne would 

survive his death by over 200 years and have such a wide readership today.. 

Internet references: 

Gilbert White’s House and the Oates Museum http://www.gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk/ 

The Bewick Society http://www.bewicksociety.org 

The Project Gutenberg collection where you can read part of the Natural History 

of Selborne. There may be copyright restrictions in some countries. 

http://www.gutenberg.org 

Visit the BBC Four Michael Wood website where you can see video clips and 

footage of Selborne from the series Gilbert White, The Nature Man 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/gilbert-white.shtml 

Readers with broadband internet access can digitally view The Natural History of 

Selborne online at: http://www.archive.org/details/naturalhistoryan02whituoft 

with the kind permission of Canadian Libraries and the University of Toronto 

With many thanks to David Standing and the members of staff at the Gilbert White’s House 

and the Oates Museum, Selborne, Hampshire, UK for their assistance with this article. 

103

104 

Liliaceous plants in the 

Nizhnekhopersky Nature Park, 

Russia 

The flora of the steppes of southern Russia is under increasing threat 

from man. However there are areas of the lower reaches of the Khoper 

River at the north-west of the Volgograd region that remain virgin 

steppe with characteristic landscapes and an interesting range of rare 

and threatened species. Many are decorative plants that deserve to be 

better known and introduced into cultivation. 

Vjacheslav Byalt and Gennady Firsov describe this fascinating 

region and describe some of its native flora. 

T 

HE PEOPLE THAT SETTLED in the steppe zone of the European part of the former 

USSR (Pechenegs, Polovtsy, Tartars) had for many centuries a nomadic life. 

In peaceful times cattle-breeding was their main business and the impact on the 

steppe was very moderate with the magnificent and majestic forests continuing 

to stretch along the banks of the Khoper and Medveditsa rivers. Although the 

seventeenth century saw Russian settlers grow in numbers, the real change 

took place from the beginning of the eighteenth through to the middle of the 

nineteenth century, when the whole territory from the lower reaches of the 

Danube River, at the west, to the Ural River, at the east, passed to the dominion 

of the Russian empire. This led to the growth of population and the settlement of 

both Russians and Ukrainians and the population of nomadic people decreased. 

The territory which was traditionally referred to as the “Wild Field” was slowly 

being transformed into a ploughed field. Throughout the nineteenth century 

agriculture progressively became more intensive and the steppe vegetation was 

significantly damaged. It is only in the twentieth century that the loss of so many 

species was understood. Many plants which had once been common became 

rare and threatened, especially many of the bulbous species. 

At the end of the 1760s Johan Falck, the Swedish Director of the Saint- 

Petersburg Botanic Garden, a pupil and follower of Linnaeus, travelled to this 

area. He participated in those famous academic expeditions, which under the 

reign of Katherine the Second were organized to investigate the natural history 

of the Russian empire. Nearly at the same time other famous botanists, such as 

J. Georgi and J. Guldenstadt, of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences travelled 

and collected plants there, but to this day the flora of the region has yet to be 

fully investigated.

Geographic location 

The territory of the lower reaches of the Khoper River (about 250 km north-west 

of Volgograd) is part of the “Wild Field”. Of all the numerous rivers of the steppe 

the Khoper River (in English it is also known as Choper) is especially beautiful, 

flowing for 1,000 km through the five administrative regions of the European 

part of Russia with the last hundred kilometres in the Kumilzhensky distrtict of 

the Volgograd region, where it runs into the River Don near stanitsa (Cossack 

village) Bukanovskaya and there are numerous lakes with water meadows 

along its floodland. Geographically this territory belongs to the southern end of 

Khoper-Buzuluk Plain – at the left side, and the southern part of Kalach Hills – at 

the right side of the river. It was here that the Nizhnekhopersky Nature Park (in 

English – The Lower Choper Nature Park), the largest in the Volgograd region, 

was created in 2003: it covers an area of 231 206 hectares. The main aims of the 

park are to promote the conservation of biodiversity, to help protect nature and 

to develop scientific, touristic and ecologico-educational activity. 

Climate 

The territory is characterized by a continental, dry and warm climate, with a lack 

of precipitation and a lot of sunny days with semi-desert condition in the south 

east of the Volgograd region. The temperature of the soil surface in July may reach 

+70° C, especially on sands. But local plants are well adapted, and they stand such 

temperature. The winters can be as severe as in the middle belt of Russia, with 

temperatures down to -30° C, but shorter. Even in late April /beginning of May there 

may be late spring frosts which affect the seed productivity of plants and crops. 

Soil types and general landscape 

Soils are represented by southern black soils, that are often washed off the slopes, 

at times with saline soils. In the more northern areas there are plots of common 

black soils. Along the river valleys alluvial soils were formed, and the terraces are 

made of sand with poor soils. The right side of Khoper and Buzuluk rivers consist 

of chalk hills with denudations of pure chalk and carbonates. Khoper-Buzuluk 

Lowland is characterized by plain watershed, wide valleys and vast floodlands 

of rivers. Under the influence of water erosion the land surface is cut by many 

ravines and gorges which prevented the complete ploughing up of virgin steppe 

and ensured the survival of rare plants. In addition, these ravines protect local 

species from dry and hot winds in summer and cold winds in winter. Hills of pure 

sand (at times bare, at times overgrown) occupy a considerable part of territory. 

The sand stretches across the water plain for many kilometres from the rivers 

Kumilga and Khoper to the rivers Medveditsa and Don. Small groves of birch 

(Betula pubescens) occur on this land creating a specific type of landscape. 

105

Above, the landscape of the Khoper River in the Nekhaevsky District, seen from the 

chalk hills of the right bank looking towards the floodland. 

Peculiarities of the flora 

The flora of this territory is very rich – more than 1,300 species. There are many 

decorative plants among them that light up the landscape around the Khoper 

river throughout the growing season. The first to flower in early spring are the 

tulips (Tulipa schrenkii and T. biebersteiniana) and other bulbs: Scilla sibirica, 

Bellevalia speciosa, Fritillaria ruthenica, Bulbocodium versicolor. Tulips are a 

characteristic feature of the true virgin steppes, but they are becoming very rare 

plants, and Shrenk’s tulip has been included in the Red Data Book of Russia. It 

was this tulip which served as a base for numerous Dutch cultivars, but in nature 

its populations have been sharply decreasing. Future generations may never see 

the picturesque red-yellow living carpets of wild tulips in spring. 

Grasses such as Stipa capillata, S. lessingiana, S. pennata, S. dasyphylla, 

S. pulcherrima make irridescent waves in the wind and some higly decorative 

and rare species, such as pink Paeonia tenuifolia and yellow Adonis wolgensis 

survive. Phlomis pungens, Limonium latifolium, Goniolimon tataricum and 

Gypsophila paniculata are present and in autumn their seed is distributed across 

the steppe by the wind. There are many subshrubs and dwarf subshrubs in the 

106

Left, Fritillaria ruthenica growing in the 

environs of stanitsa Bukanovskaya, on the 

edge of a shrubby thicket along the edge of 

Fomin Ravine. 

Above, Scilla sibirica in oak woodland at 

Shakinskaya Dubrava. 

flora of the steppe, species of Artemisia being of special importance. Some soils 

are salty, and at such saline places one finds salt resistant plants such as Kochia 

prostrata, Salicornia europaea, Suaeada spp. and other peculiar plants. 

There are large areas of chalk along the banks of steppe rivers where the 

vegetation gradually or sharply disappears giving way to pure chalk, where 

entirely other plants occur. On a sunny day the chalk glitters and is as blinding to 

the eyes as snow in mountains. The air is filled with fragrance, because there are 

many plants of the Lamiaceae family, which contain essential oils. On chalk scree 

or chalk stones only specific chalk plants grow, these are Scrophularia cretacea, 

Pimpinella tragium, Silene cretacea, Hyssopus cretaceus, Linaria cretacea, 

Linum ucrainicum, Hedysarum ucrainicum, H. grandiflorum and many others. 

Chalk plants don’t stand competition with other plants and don’t form a 

complete cover. 

Allium regelianum was described from Sarepta, in the southern environs of 

Volgograd, by the well-known naturalist of the nineteenth century A. Bekker, 

and was named after the Director of the Saint-Petersburg Botanic Garden E.L. 

Regel. During many years there were no sightings of this species, and it was 

107

considered extinct but in 1984 the species was repeatedly discovered in several 

places of the Volgograd region, but in a limited area. This is a highly decorative 

bulbous plant with narrow leaves and an umbel of purple-pinkish flowers. The 

main bulb is surrounded by many bulbils. In July 1996 we discovered it on chalk 

hills of the Khoper River not far from the mouth of the Kumilga River (Firsov, 

Baranova, 1997). Clematis orientalis was another extremely interesting find, also 

from the chalk hills of the Khoper River, which we discovered quite recently, in 

August 2000. Here it grows hundred kilometres north from the main part of its 

natural habitat. This is the only arboreal climber in the flora of the whole Lower 

Don area, and the diminutive population near khutor (small Cossack village) 

Pustovsky, not far from the mouth of the Khoper River, represents the extreme 

northern point in the European part of its habitat (Firsov, 2002). Local bulbs and 

Liliaceous related plants are an important part of the native flora, they belong to 

the families Alliaceae, Colchicaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Iridaceae and Liliaceae. 

Vegetation 

The main type of vegetation of the steppe is grasses of different kind with 

a dominance of Festuca, some agriculture, water meadows, forests and 

chalk plants. 

The afforestation of the lower reaches of the Khoper River is about 12%, 

which is much more than at the average for the Volgograd region. The main 

woods are situated at the river valleys, these are so called ribbon forests. There 

are also upland and ravine forests which are of great importance for the local 

population and for the conservation of rare native species. The main forest tree is 

oak (Quercus robur) with poplars and elms (Populus nigra, Populus alba, Ulmus 

minor), Pyrus pyraster and Malus praecox. The white willow (Salix alba) forms 

forests along the river banks, together with other shrubby willows. Shrubby 

species, such as Amygdalus nana, Cerasus fruticosa, Prunus spinosa, produce 

thickets in steppe ravines and at the edge of upland and floodland forests. 

The water meadows of the Khoper River and its tributaries are species rich and 

some are used for hay making. The many species include Gentiana pneumonanthe, 

Fritillaria meleagroides, Gladiolus tenuis, Valeriana officinalis, Allium praescissum, 

with, among the dominant common meadow grasses, Alopecurus pratensis, Elytrigia 

repens and Poa pratensis. On lower ground around lakes one finds Iris pseudacorus, 

Symphytum tanaicense, Althaea officinalis and various sedges and dense thickets of 

Typha latifolia, Scirpus lacustris, Phragmites australis. 

As for really aquatic plants, there are about 15 species of Potamogeton, Trapa 

natans, or aquatic nut, Nymphaea alba and N. candida and the water fern, 

Salvinia natans, together with Lemna minor, Spirodela polyrhiza and other 

aquatic floating plants. 

108

Threatened species 

As a result of our original research since 1996, it was clarified that 24 species 

officially included in the Red Data Book of Russia (2005) occur in the Lower Khoper 

Nature Park, these are: Artemisia hololeuca Bieb. ex Bess., A. salsoloides Willd. 

(Asteraceae), Lepidium meyeri Claus, Matthiola fragrans Bunge (Brassicaceae), 

Silene cretacea Fisch., S. hellmannii Claus (Caryophyllaceae), Scrophularia 

cretacea Fisch. (Scrophulariaceae), Astragalus tanaiticus C. Koch, Hedysarum 

cretaceum Fisch., H. grandiflorum Pall. (Fabaceae), Allium regelianum 

A. Beck. (Alliaceae), Bulbocodium versicolor (Ker-Gawl.) Spreng. (Colchicaceae), 

Bellevalia speciosa (Georgi) Woronow (Hyacinthaceae), Fritillaria ruthenica 

Wikstr., Tulipa schrenkii Regel (Liliaceae), Iris aphylla L. (Iridaceae), 

Hyssopus cretaceus Dubjan. (Lamiaceae), Stipa dasyphylla (Lindem), Trautv., 

S. pennata L., S. pulcherrima C. Koch (Poaceae), Orchis coriophora L., 

O. militaris L., O. palustris Jacq. (Orchidaceae), Paeonia tenuifolia 

L. (Paeoniaceae). Iris pumila L. was included in the first edition of the Red Data 

Book of Russia (1988), it also grows in this territory. 

The main factor causing the disappearance of many steppe plants was 

ploughing up of virgin steppe but even hay making has an influence on the 

population and distribution of certain species (for example, Allium regelianum 

and Fritillaria meleagroides). First of all, this is true for those meadow-steppe 

species which have unripe seeds in the hay making season. So, in hay making 

areas one cannot find Bellevalia speciosa. It cannot be propagated vegetatively 

with bulbils but only by seed and plants must pass through difficult and complex 

phases of development during several years before they come into flower. And 

under continuous cutting of the grass the mother bulb is gradually exhausted 

and dies (Firsov, Baranova, 2002). Our inspection of chalk hills of the Khoper 

River from khutor Koso-Kluchansky downwards to the mouth of Kumilga River 

in July 2001 showed that certain plants, such as bulbous alliums, grow only on a 

very narrow strip along the precipitous bank of the river, at times only 2 to 5 m 

wide, from the edge of the upland oak wood or edge of the slope to the edge 

of field or hay making area. It is the bulbous species that are most at peril from 

the plough which throws them up to the soil surface where they soon dry out 

and perish. 

At present the situation with plant conservation has changed considerably. 

The Red Data Book of the Volgograd region has been published and the 

“Nizhnekhopersky” and “Ust-Medveditsky” parks have been established at 

the lower reaches of the Khoper and Medveditsa rivers. In total seven nature 

parks were recently created in the Volgograd region. We hope this will 

help to conserve and protect large areas of steppe vegetation for future 

generations. 

109

The red form of Tulipa shrenkii flowering on 23 April 2006 not far from stanitsa 

Bukanovskaya. The yellow form of the same species was growing in the 

Nekhaevsky district. 

Places of interest: 

Shakinskaya Dubrava 

Shakinskaya Dubrava or Shakinsky Oak Wood at the right side of the Khoper 

River near khutor Shakin is one the most southern points of relic upland oak 

woods of the European part of Russia, with trees of Quercus robur exceeding 200 

years old. The presence of such plants, which usually grow in the more northerly 

forests (Berberis vulgaris, Fraxinus excelsior, Sorbus aucuparia, Stachys sylvatica) 

give the Shakinsky Oak Wook a very particular character. Many species here 

are situated at the southern and south-eastern borders of their natural habitats. 

Here one can also find rare flowering plants, such as Ornithogalum kochii, 

Adonis wolgense and orchids (Platanthera bifolia, Epipactis atrorubens and 

E. helleborine). It is a pleasure to visit Dubrava on a hot sunny day and to find 

yourself under the cool shade of broadleaved oaks and elms and see summer 

flowers at the time when the surrounding steppe begins to fade, become dull and 

burnt with sun. And it is especially beautiful here in spring, when the ground of 

the still transparent forest is covered by a carpet of blue fragrant Scilla sibirica, 

which is called here a snowdrop. At Dubrava one can see large glades completely 

covered by dense stand of snowdrops, at flowering time they look like blue lakes 

inside of the forest. Among many thousands of blue flowers one may discover 

from time to time flowers which are nearly pure white. Their stamens may be 

with yellow or greenish anthers. Petals may be not only be whitish but also 

110

Tulipa biebersteiniana in the Fomin Ravine in the environs of stanitsa 

Bukanovskaya, in mid-April 2006. 

pinkish or bicoloured with longitudinal white and blue stripes. Wild boars like 

to eat the delicious bulbs. At places one sees signs of their activity – freshly dug 

up glades and wilting flowers of snowdrops with eaten roots. There are other 

bulbs at Shakinskaya Dubrava, with Muscari neglectum being one of the rarest of 

them all and in other areas one can be surrounded with a lovely exotic flowering 

carpet of pale yellow Corydalis marschalliana. 

Bare sands 

The large massif of sand hills between khutors Chunosov and Sigayevsky in the 

Kumilzhensky district was formed along the edge of melting glaciers long ago 

when the climate was becoming warmer. Barkhans or hills 10 to 15 m high form 

a picturesque landscape reminding one of the deserts of Central Asia, though this 

territory is situated far north of them. To cultivate successfully plants of such unusual 

ecological places, it is necessary to create special areas and to grow them in sandy 

soil, in a very light position. Thymus pallasianus belongs to these psammophytic 

plants. This is a dwarf fragrant and long flowering shrub that is decorative, much 

frequented by honey bees, produces essential oils and, added to tea gives it a 

special aroma and has medicinal properties. Such shrubs as Salix acutifolia and 

Chamaecytisus ruthenicus belong to sand-loving plants and among herbaceous 

plants are Helychrisum arenarium, Dianthus squarrosus and Jurinea cyanoides. The 

sand-loving bulbous species include Gagea (Gagea bulbifera is especially common) 

and some alliums (such as the typical psammophyte Allium savranicum). 

111

Groves of northern forests 

Very close to the hot and sunburnt sands, one can move into the cool shade of 

alder forest, under a dense canopy of black alder (Alnus glutinosa). Black alder 

communities produce a refuge for many rare and relic plants penetrating to the 

south from northern forests. Here you can find thickets of rare ferns. There are 

also interesting sedges, rare Veratrum lobelianum, Geum aleppicum and other 

unusual plants for that territory, including orchids and bulbs. 

Relic lakes 

On the sandy floodland terrace of the left side of Kumilga river along the borders 

of this sand massif there is a chain of small lakes with a set of rare and interesting 

species, many of them came from the north with the glacier and stayed to live 

here after it had melted. Here one can find extremely rare Lycopodiella inundata, 

and also Menianthes trifoliata, Comarum palustre, white moss Sphagnum and 

other plants that are unusual on the steppes. There are also some very rare 

orchids, such as Orchis militaris. 

Floating islands 

Large Babinsky and Small Babinsky Lakes in the environs of stanitsa Alexeevskaya 

(named after son of Peter the Great, tsarevich Alexej) are interesting as they have 

floating islands (Byalt, Firsov, Sidorov, 2006). Their base is formed by roots of 

Phragmites altissimus and there is a real forest growing on these islands with 

Betula pubescens and Populus tremula, up to 10 m high and 15-18 cm in trunk 

diameter. Islands reach considerable sizes to one hectare and more. In windy 

weather they travel from one bank to another. The island may stand near the 

bank for a long time, but if the wind changes direction, the island easily travels 

to the opposite shore, the trees forming a natural sail. This may frighten the odd 

fisherman. It is interesting to have an excursion on such an island as it seems that 

you are in real forest but with ones feet dropping into the mossy soil and having 

to move with great care, pushing through the large fern Thelypteris palustris and 

avoiding the open “windows” of water, fallen twigs and trunks of birches that 

have been cut off by beavers. On the island are beautiful flowering herbs such 

as Inula helenium and Calystegia sepium but we were not able to discover bulbs 

due to the very wet and boggy conditions on the islands. The bulbous plants not 

being adapted to stand very wet and boggy places. 

Seasonal changes 

The profuse flowering of numerous small white flowers of Spiraea crenata and 

S. litwinowii, together with pinkish steppe almond (Amygdalus nana), and 

white wild plum (Prunus spinosa), shrubby wild cherry (Cerasus fruticosa) gives 

the unforgettable picturesque appearance to the spring steppe. In a short time 

the steppe changes completely, there is a honey smell all around. There are 

112

ees and butterflies in the air, and steppe ravines become white and rosy like 

a bride. Among thickets of shrubs and low trees a dense multi-coloured carpet 

of Corydalis bulbosa and Corydalis marschalliana, Scilla sibirica and Tulipa 

biebersteiniana appears. In open places the spring steppe is a delicate crisp 

green, with spots of yellow and red Shrenk’s tulips, multi-coloured irises (Iris 

pumila, Iris halophila), Fritillaria ruthenica and Adonis wolgensis. 

They are followed at the end of spring by the fragrant salvias that come into 

flower: Salvia tesquicola, S. nutans, S. aethiopica, and perennial and arboreal 

astragaluses. Salvia tesquicola can turn the steppe lilac-blue. In the birch groves 

on sand hills orchids begin to flower in May. May to the beginning of June is the 

period of mass and profuse flowering of many plants of the steppe. Somewhat 

later the wild strawberry (Fragaria viridis) begins to ripen on the chalk hills and 

steppe ravines. Wether its crop is profuse or berries burnt by the sun, depends 

on summer rains. In July the steppe becomes yellow and dry, staying thus till the 

first autumnal rains. 

The middle of the hot summer is the time to look at the flowering plants of 

the water meadows. On the banks of numerous large and small lakes the high 

perennial Senecio tataricum is seen from far away because of its large yellow 

flowers, together with pink spikes of Lythrum salicaria and Lythrum virgata. 

At the end of summer the number of flowers diminishes considerably, but in 

autumn the steppe again becomes colourful. Leaves of Euonymus verrucosus 

turn to bright red and create the effect of burning fires here and there against 

the chalk hills. Yellow leaves of Acer campestre decorate the autumnal forest 

against a background of black and grey tree trunks and whitish slopes of chalk 

ravines. This is a period of seeds ripening, though the seeds of many ephemeroid 

bulbs had ripened at the beginning of summer. Some high grasses from the 

Apiaceae family form specific communities and remind one of the more familiar 

high grasslands of the Far East. Bright berries of Berberis vulgaris, hawthorns 

(Crataegus ambigua and C. rhipidophylla) and various rose species (Rosa 

corymbifera, R. majalis, R. microdenia, R. rubiginosa) decorate steppe ravines 

for a long time. Step by step the tinges of the steppe become more and more 

dull and gloomy. In late autumn, before everything is covered in snow, the grey 

colour dominates the steppe, but green tinges appear from the fresh grass of the 

steppe plants, such as Festuca valesiaca, feather-grasses and bulbous alliums that 

begin to grow after the autumnal rains. 

Liliaceous and other bulbs of the Lower Khoper 

The steppe zone at the southern end of the European part of Russia is much 

richer in bulbous plants compared to the forest zone. Bulb plants belong to 

several families, Alliaceae and Liliaceae being the richest among them. Below 

113

Chalk gorges and ravines of Choper River near stanitsa Lukovskaya, 

Nekhaevsky district. 

we enumerate bulbous plants of the Lower Khoper Nature Park identified to the 

present day. In the following list the ecological characteristic, occurrence and 

information in distribution in the territory are given, with short comments where 

necessary. We include as well several species which have not been found yet in 

the Park, but are known from the adjacent territories, not far from its borders. 

Perhaps in the future they may be discovered in the Park. 

Fam. ALLIACEAE Borkh. 

Allium angulosum L. 

Perennial. Floodland meadows, glades and edges of wood, banks of lakes, rarified 

forests, also sandy meadows, banks of small lakes on sandy terrace of the left bank of 

the Kumilga River. Not seldom. Meadow plants. Fl. V-VI. 

A. decipiens Fisch. ex Schult. et Schult. fil. 

Perennial. Chalk hills, steppe slopes, edges of forests, in Shakinskaya Dubrava, on left 

side of Kumilga River at khutor Chunosov, near stanitsas Lukovskaya, Upornikovskaya 

and Fedoseevskaya, khutors Akishevsky and Pustovsky. Rather seldom. Petrophiloussteppe 

plants. Fl. V-VI. 

A. flavescens Bess. 

Perennial. Open slopes of steppe ravines. Rather seldom. Steppe plants. Fl. VI-VII. 

114

Above, a large population of gladiolus 

(Gladiolus tenuis) flowering in a salty 

meadow of the Buzuluk River, just north 

of stanitsa Alexeevskaya. 

Left, Bellevalia speciosa in tight bud. 

115

A. globosum Bieb. 

Perennial. Kumilzhensky district, chalk hills of right bank of the Khoper River above 

Koso- Kluchansky (11 VIII 2000). Petrophilous-steppe plants. Fl. VI-VII. 

A. inaequale Janka 

Perennial. 3 VIII 2000, extremity of chalk hills of the Khoper River near stanitsa 

Bukanovskaya, on semi-overgrown chalk; 7 VIII 2000, chalk denudations at stanitsa 

Slaschevskaya. Seldom. Petrophilous-steppe plants. Fl. VII-VIII. 

A. lineare L. 

Perennial. Chalk hills, steppe slopes, glades and edges of woods, mainly in upland part. 

Rather seldom. Petrophilous-steppe plants. Fl. VI. 

A. oleraceum L. 

Perennial. Glades and edges of wood, floodland forests, meadows, steppe ravines, 

shrubby thickets. Not seldom. Edge of woods and woody plants. Fl. VII-VIII. 

A. paczoskianum Tuzs. 

Perennial. Steppe slopes, chalk hills, glades in Shakinskaya Dubrava. Rather seldom. 

Petrophilous-steppe plants. Fl. VI-VII. 

A. podolicum (Aschers. & Graebn.) Blocki ex Racib. 

Perennial. Steppe slopes, shrubby thickets, near springs. It was discovered by V.A. 

Sagalayev (1988) on the banks of the Khoper River (stanitsa Lukovskaya and stanitsa 

Ust-Buzulukskaya) and Buzuluk (khutors Stezhki and Shubinsky, environs of stanitsa 

Alexeevskaya). Rather seldom. Petrophilous-steppe plants. Fl. VI-VIII. 

A. praescissum Reichenb. 

Perennial. Kumilzhensky district, overgrown sand, on border between floodland and 

sand hills between places Gremjachy and Baranov, left side of the Khoper River. 

Seldom. Psammophilous-halophilous-meadow-steppe plants. Fl. VI-VII. 

A. regelianum A. Beck. 

Perennial. Chalk hills of right side of the Khoper River, saline meadow at border of 

floodland and sand near lake Gromok on left side of the Khoper; Shakinskaya Dubrava 

(“Kumilzhensky district, environs of village Shakin, Shakinskaya Dubrava, glade 

among old oaks, not far from the office of forest enterprise. 14.07.2001, G.A. Firsov 

(LE!)” and chalks at Buzuluk River (Alexeevsky district, right bank of Buzuluk River, 

6-12 km up from stanitsa Alexeevskaya, Seldom. Petrophilous-halophilous-steppe 

plants. Fl. VI-VII. Species is included in the Red Data Book of Russia (1988, 2005) and 

of Volgograd region (2005). 

A. rotundum L. 

Perennial. Chalk hills, steppe slopes, glades in Shakinskaya Dubrava. Rather seldom. 

Edge of wood-steppe plants. Fl. VI. Polymorphous species. 

A. savranicum Bess. 

Perennial. Kumilzhensky district, sands between Gromok and Baranov, in place 

Berezniki, Shakinskaya Dubrava, left side of the Khoper River near its mouth. Seldom. 

Psammophilous-steppe plants. It was seen by V.A. Sagalayev (1987) also at the mouth 

of the Buzuluk River. Recommended for protection in Volgograd region. Fl. VI-VIII. 

A. scorodoprasum L. 

Perennial. Very seldom. (“Kumylzhensky district, a glade in Shakinskaya Dubrava, 14 

VII 2001, G. Firsov (LE!)”. Edge of wood-meadow plants. This species before was not 

found in the Volgograd region (Sagalayev, 2006a) or the region of the Lower Don 

(Zozulin, 1985). It is more or less frequent as far west as the Ukraine (Myakushko, 

1987). Fl. VI-VII. 

A. sphaerocephalon L. 

Perennial. Chalk hills, steppe slopes, overgrown sands and sandy steppe, on edges and 

116

glades at places Berezniki (environs of stanitsa Kumilzhenskaya), Shakinskaya Dubrava, 

Lokhmaty Barrow and others. Not seldom. Steppe plants. Fl. VI-VII. 

A. tulipifolium Ledeb. 

Perennial. Steppe chalk slopes, steep riverbanks, shrubby thickets. Seldom. It was not 

identified for the Khoper area (Sagalaev, 1987). Fl. IV-V. It is distinguished from the closely 

related A. decipiens by whitish (not pinkish), small flowers, anthers being protruded from 

the corolla, and by a shorter cover. Besides, A. tulipifolium flowers earlier in the year, so 

it is fruiting in June when A. decipiens is only beginning to flower. Steppe plants. 

V.P. Drobov (1906) identified another two species: Allium flavum L. for chalks near 

stanitsa Zotovskaya and A. moschatum L. for sands near stanitsa Ust-Buzulukskaya. 

It is not clear for us what alliums Mr Drobov had in mind under these names, because 

both species were described from Western Europe and apparently don’t reach the 

Khoper River. We don’t know where the herbarium specimens of V.P. Drobov are kept. 

We may suppose that A. flavum in his understanding is identical to A. flavescens Bess. 

Fam. COLCHICACEAE DC. 

Bulbocodium versicolor (Ker-Gawl). Spreng. 

Perennial. Kumilzhensky district, slopes of steppe ravines between stanitsa Slaschevskaya 

and khutor Shakin, near khutor Filinsky, on glades and edges in Shakinskaya Dubrava; 

Nekhaevsky district, near stanitsa Upornikovskaya; at times it is cultivated (khutor 

Chunosov). Very seldom. Edge of wood-steppe plants. Fl. III-IV. Included in the Red 

Data Book of Russia (1988, 2005) and of the Volgograd region (2005). The population 

of Bulbocodium near stanitsa Slaschevskaya is very small, situated along the edge of 

ravine, between agricultural field and slope of ravine, and may easily disappear. Plants 

with white flowers (f. alba) were found in the wild by local naturalist Sergej Grishin and 

replanted in his private garden. 

Colchicum laetum Stev. 

Perennial. Virgin steppe, saline soils and salty meadows. This species has not been 

found in the territory of the park yet, but identified in neighbouring territories of the 

Rostov region, in the environs of stanitsa Bokovskaya and khutor Grachev (Fedyaeva, 

2004). Halophilous-steppe plants. It is included in Red Data Book of Russia (1988, 

2005). This species is of very late flowering, usually in October, and apparently may be 

missed by collectors. 

Fam. HYACINTHACEAE Batsch 

Bellevalia speciosa (Georgi ex . Grossh.) Woron. 

(B. sarmatica (Pall. ex Georgi) Woronow) 

Perennial. Steppe slopes and edges of shrubs of a ravine Dolgy on right side of the 

Khoper River, environs of stanitsa Slaschevskaya. Seldom. Edge of wood-steppe plants. 

In former times this species was widely distributed throughout steppe zone of Eastern 

Europe. After the virgin steppe was ploughed up it has been quickly disappearing, and 

is a very rare plant. It is included in the Red Data Book of Russia (1988, 2005) and of the 

Volgograd region (2005). In the Lower Khoper Nature Park is was discovered on steppe 

slopes and on the edge of the Dolgy Ravine on the right side of the Khoper River, in 

the environs of stanitsa Slaschevskaya ( Firsov, Baranova, 2002). It was also identified 

in khutor Ostroukhovsky of Kumilzhensky district (Sagalaev, 2000). 

This species is more widely known under name B. sarmatica (Pall. ex Miscz.) Woronow, 

but E.V. Mordak in her last publications clarified that Bellevalia speciosa (Georgi ex 

Grossh.) Woron. is its true name and has priority. (Mordak, 2003). 

117

Two of the many different forms of Tulipa biebersteiniana found in Shakinskaya 

Dubrava (see p. 120). 

Hyacinthella leucaphaea (C. Koch) Schur. 

Perennial. Stony and steppe slopes, ravines. Very seldom (Sagalaev, 2000). Fl. IV-V. In 

the territory of the Park this species has not been found, but really occurs somewhat to 

the north, at Urjupinsky district of Volgograd region near khutor Bespalovsky, and in 

Saratov region. 

Muscari neglectum Guss. (M. racemosum auct.). 

Perennial. Very rare plant in the territory of the Park, known only from Shakinskaya 

Dubrava, where it was once collected (“khutor Shakin, 4 V 1976, anonym (VOLG)” 

(Kuvaldina, 1982). Meadow-steppe plants. Fl. IV-V. Included in the Red Data Book of 

Volgograd region (2005). 

Ornithogallum fischeri Krash. 

Perennial. Open plain steppe, slopes of steppe ravines, dry meadows. Edge of woodssteppe 

plants. Fl. V-VI. Until now it has not been found in the Park yet, but occurs 

seldom to the south-east, at Sholokhovsky district of Rostov region (Fedyaeva, 2004) 

and in other districts of theVolgograd region. It is distinguished from O. kochii by its 

elongated inflorescence and larger flowers, the seed pods being 3-angled (not 6-angled 

as in O. kochii). 

O. kochii Parl. 

Perennial. Slopes of steppe ravines, in glades and on the edges of wood; not seldom. 

Edge of wood-steppe plants. This species was first identified in this territory by A.K. 

Skvortsov (1971). It was discovered in Shakinskaya Dubrava and published under the 

name Ornithogalum gussonei. For a long time it was considered a very rare species for 

the Lower Khoper area, but latest field research clarified that it occurs in many places 

throughout the Park on chalk and steppe slopes and edges of upland forests (near 

khutor Podok, stanitsas Bukanovskaya and Slaschevskaya of Kumilzhensky district; 

khutor Shubinsky of Alexeevsky district and others). Fl. IV-V. 

Scilla sibirica Haw. 

Perennial. Upland woods, shrubby thickets of steppe ravines, in alder forests, under 

canopy of trees, in glades; frequently. In spring it makes carpets of blue in Shakinskaya 

118

Dubrava, in upland oakwoods, alder groves, steppe ravines. Among the typical bluecoloured 

form there are many variants which are of special interest for gardens. Fl. IV. 

Fam. IRIDACEAE Juss. 

Crocus reticulatus Stev. ex Adam. 

Perennial. Virgin steppe, slopes of ravines, edges of forests. The oral report that this 

species occurs on steppe slopes along the right bank of the Khoper River at Tishansky 

forest enterprise and near stanitsa Upornikovskaya in the Nekhaevsky district has not 

been confirmed (after our investigation in fact it happened to be Bulbocodium versicolor). 

There is data that this species grows somewhat to the south-east, in Sholokhovsky 

district of the Rostov region (Fedyaeva, 2004). Edge of wood-steppe plants. Fl. III. 

Apparently it may be missed because of very early flowering. 

Gladiolus tenuis Bieb. (G. imbricatus auct., G. apterus Klok.) 

Perennial. Birch groves, meadows and glades in Shakinskaya Dubrava (Drobov, 

1906); salty water meadows of the Buzuluk River. Rather seldom (environs of stanitsas 

Fedoseevskaya, Kumilzhenskaya, Slaschevskaya, Alexeevskaya, Upornikovskaya). Edge 

of wood-meadow plants. Fl. V-VI. Included in the Red Data Book of Volgograd region 

(2005). It flowers beautifully near khutor Pomalinsky of Alexeevsky district, in a water 

meadow along the Buzuluk River. 

Besides Gladiolus, there are four species of the wild irises in the Park (Iris aphylla L., 

I. halophila Pall., I. pseudacorus L. è I. pumila L.). The rarest among them are I. aphylla 

and I. pumilla, highly decorative and flowering at the same time as tulips and Fritillaria. 

Fam. LILIACEAE Juss. 

Fritillaria meleagris L. 

Perennial. Floodland meadows of Khoper River. Extremely rare. It was identified once by 

A.I. Kuvaldina (1982) in the environs pf stanitsa Ust-Buzulukskaya of Alexeevsky district, 

but we have not been able to confirm this. It was possibly a mistake in identification, 

and in fact Fritillaria meleagroides was collected. Moreover, this species is absent in 

the Flora of the Lower Volga area (Sagalaev, 2006b). Meadow plants. Fl. V. 

F. meleagroides Patrin ex Schult. et Schult. fil. 

Perennial. Floodland meadows of rivers Khoper, Don and Buzuluk, environs of stanitsa 

Bukanovskaya and stanitsa Alexeevskaya (between khutors Pomalinsky and Lipky). 

Seldom. Meadow plants. Fl. V. 

F. ruthenica Wikstr. 

Perennial. Edges and glades of upland woods, edges of shrubby thickets in steppe ravines, 

penetrates under the canopy of forests. Seldom (environs of stanitsas Bukanovskaya, 

Slashchevskaya, Ust-Buzulukskaya, Lukovskaya, villages Shakin, Akishevsky, etc.). Edge 

of wood and woody plants. Included in the Red Data books of Russia (1988, 2005) and 

of the Volgograd region (2005). Fl. IV-V. 

Gagea bulbifera (Pall). Salisb. 

Perennial. Steppe slopes, chalk hills, saline soils. Common. Petrophilous-steppe plants. 

Fl. IV-V. 

G. erubescens (Bess.) Schult. & Schult. f. 

Perennial. Edges of upland oak woods, shrubby thickets, grassy slopes of steppe ravines. 

Until now it has not been found in the Park, but it was identified in this area without 

mentioning the exact places (Sagalaev, 2000). Of seldom occurrence at Sholokhovsky 

district of Rostov region (Fedyaeva, 2004). Edge of wood-meadow-steppe plants. Fl. 

III-IV. Apparently it is missed by collectors because of very early flowering. 

119

G. granulosa Turcz. 

Perennial. Among steppe shrubs, edges of light forests. Environs of stanitsa Ust- 

Buzulikskaya and stanitsa Nekhaevskaya (Sagalaev, 2000). Meadow-steppe plants. 

Seldom. Fl. IV-V. 

G. minima (L). Ker-Gawl. 

Perennial. Steppe slopes, edges of upland woods and shrubby thickets in steppe 

ravines, rarified forests and forest belts. Rather seldom (near khutors Ozhogin and 

Shakin, between khutors Krivsky and Pustovsky, near stanitsa Ust-Buzulukskaya and 

other places). Edge of wood-woody-steppe plants. Fl. IV-V. 

G. podolica Schult. et Schult. fil. 

Perennial. On chalk hills, steppe slopes, glades and edges of woods, in rarified forests, 

between birch groves, on saline soils, overgrown sand, banks of reservoirs. Very 

common. Edge of wood-steppe plants. Fl. IV-V. 

G. pusilla Schult. & Schult. fil. 

Perennial. Steppe, slopes of ravines. It has not been found in the Park. but V.V. Fedyaeva 

(2004) is of the opinion that it is common in the adjacent Sholokhovsky district of 

Rostov region. Edge of wood-steppe plants. Fl. III-IV. Apparently it was stated for the 

Volgograd region by mistaken identity. 

Tulipa biebersteiniana Schult. et Schult. fil. s.l. 

Perennial. Woods, slopes of steppe ravines, shrubby thickets, glades and edges of forest. 

Quite common. Edge of wood-woody-steppe plants. 

In the territory of the Park there are several different forms related to T. biebersteiniana. 

So, in Shakinskaya Dubrava a white flowering form occurs, which was once identified 

as a separate species, T. patens Agardh. ex Schult. & Schult. f. (Sagalaev, 2006b). Tulipa 

patens was identified in the Nekhaevsky district (Kuvaldina, 1982). We discovered it 

in a small glade, numbering several dozen plants, growing together; it was a pale 

yellow flowering form. The flowers were of nearly the same shape as the typical 

T. biebersteiniana, but of another colour. They have white petals, with yellow centre, 

and pinkish tips. Besides, in more shady and wet places another form was found, 

with larger flowers, hooked and bending inflorescenses before flowering, rather large 

bulbs which produce stolons. In many characteristics these plants may be united with 

real Tulipa sylvestris L. At chalk hills and saline places one finds another form – these 

are low plants with narrow glaucous leaves and upright inflorescences. Earlier it was 

described as T. scythica Klok. & Zos. The real status of these forms is not clear for us at 

present and requires further investigation. 

T. schrenkii Regel (T. gesneriana L.) 

Perennial. Open slopes of steppe ravines, chalk hills. It prefers hard clay, salty or 

carbonate soils. Seldom (near stanitsas Ust-Buzulukskaya, Bukanovskaya, Fedoseevskaya 

etc.). Steppe plants. It has become a very rare plant due to ploughing up of virgin 

steppe and mass picking for bunches of flowers. Nowadays it does not produce the 

same spectacle as in former times, when it made complete red-yellow fields. Yellow 

flowers may be found much more seldom than red ones (according to literature data 

they may also be white). The flowers may,or not, have black or yellow spot in the 

middle (near the base of petals); petals being acuminate or more seldom obtuse. Bulbs 

are situated much deeper in the ground than those of other tulips. 

Introduced and cultivated Liliaceous plants 

Some decorative species of local flora are cultivated in gardens and orchards 

at stanitsas Bukanovskaya, Kumilzheskaya and other small and large Cossack 

120

villages. These include Scilla sibirica, Paeonia tenuifolia, Tulipa gesneriana, 

T. biebersteiniana. 

As well as the wild bulbous plants, local people grow many introduced Liliaceous 

and related plants. We observed and checked in private gardens several species 

of tulips (Tulipa gesneriana, T. praestans Hoog), several species of lilies (Lilium 

regale E.H. Wilson, L. lancifolium Thunb., L. bulbiferum L.)and other related 

plants: Hemerocallis fulva (L.) L., H. lilio-asphodelus L., Hyacinthus orientalis L., 

Gladiolus x cultorum hort., Narcissus poeticus L., N. pseudonarcissus L. etc. 

The introduction to the Khoper area takes place spontaneously and accidentally, 

because scientific centres, such as botanical gardens, arboreta or specialized 

nurseries are absent. As a result, the assortment of bulbs and other related 

liliaceous plants is rather poor although Cossacks like to decorate their yards with 

flowers. A severe climate is also a limiting factor and does not encourage further 

introduction of more exotic species of bulbs which would not withstand the cold 

winters without digging up which makes cultivation more difficult. 

There is much to do 

As it was mentioned earlier, the flora of the steppe of southern Russia is under 

increasing threat from man. Due to intensive animal breeding and ploughing up of 

virgin steppe for agriculture, as well as the complete forestation of sands in recent 

decades, the number of threatened plant species has increased considerably. 

At the same time the area of the lower reaches of the Khoper River differs 

from many other steppe territories by the survival of primary virgin steppe. That 

is why more than 35% of species included in the Red Data Book of the Volgograd 

region occur here, this is a most special area for nature in the whole of the Lower 

Volga region. 

Botanically this territory is poorly investigated, and there are not many 

specimens in the leading herbaria of Russia from this territory. Our field research 

of the last years has enlarged our knowledge of this flora, and many herbarium 

specimens have been collected (about 8,000 sheets). In 2005-2006 with the help 

of a Rufford Small Grant (Project 41.01.05) four botanical expeditions at different 

times of the growing season were organized to the place for the purpose of 

examining the threatened flora and updating the general list of plants. At present 

together with Prof. V.A. Sagalaev, we have been compiling the Flora of the Lower 

Khoper Nature Park. Many species have not yet been introduced to cultivation, 

which is an important task for the future. There is an urgent need to conserve 

plants of the Russian steppe in their natural habitat and to protect them for future 

generations. There hope that the Nature Park “Nizhnekhopersky” will play an 

important role in the conservation of steppe plants and in educating people to 

love nature. 

121

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122

The International Lily Registrar 

Kate Donald was appointed to the post in 2006. 

Here she introduces herself. 

EING A PART-TIME REGISTRAR enables me to mull over knotty registration issues 

Bwhile 

working on the croft. It didn’t take long to conclude that however 

much I wittered on about horticultural training and experience, sooner or later 

I would have to confess that lilies have not, up until now, loomed large in my 

career. Daffodils have. Daffodils still do. Spring is a juggling act between 

trying to name some of our 550 stocks of pre-1930 Narcissus cultivars, which 

have hitherto defied identification; working on lily registration; growing fruit, 

vegetables and flowers, and maintaining the hedges and boundaries which 

protect our 3½-acre croft. 

Ever since I enjoyed spectacular success with mignonette over 40 years 

ago, I have gardened. I remember the excitement when Lilium ‘Enchantment’ 

brandished its exotic flowers in our suburban garden. I was stony broke 

throughout childhood, spending all my pocket money on plants from Perry’s 

Hardy Plants Farm. 

A 40-hour week of manual labour – plus evenings taken up with practical 

demonstrations, plant identification tests and projects – came as a bit of a surprise 

to a 16-year-old used to a modest school day, but the two-year certificate course 

at the RHS School of Horticulture, Wisley, has stood me in good stead ever 

since. My interest in daffodils was kindled during a scholarship year at Tresco 

Abbey Gardens, on the Isles of Scilly, where the scented, multi-headed tazettas 

are an important industry. It was a wrench to leave but, having decided on 

further horticultural training, I attended the three-year diploma course at the 

Royal Botanic Garden (RBG), Edinburgh. One of my favourite areas was the peat 

banks, where freckled shell-pink Nomocharis were coaxed into flower. I could 

not have imagined that 30 years on I would be strimming rushes on our very 

own, much wetter, peat bog. 

After Edinburgh, I went into private service as Head Gardener of the original 

seven acres of Rosemoor – a post I had to relinquish when I married and moved 

away from North Devon. The ensuing 25 years were dominated by my husband’s 

career: we lived near Wisley while Duncan was General Secretary of the National 

Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens; in London when he was 

Curator of the Chelsea Physic Garden; near Edinburgh when Head of Gardens 

for the National Trust for Scotland, and at Inverewe, where Duncan was Property 

Manager. For the first ten years, I found appropriate employment as best I could. 

Thankfully, the RHS offered me the post of International Daffodil Registrar. 

123

The initial task was to transfer, long-hand, all 23 000 daffodil cultivar names 

from Moore’s “Modern Method of Filing” (1950s?) on to index cards: this later 

formed the basis of the computerized Daffodil Checklist (1989). Earlier daffodil 

classifications had to be up-dated and the colour-coding system incorporated. 

Working with a horticultural classification system which has been evolving since 

1908, has helped me understand present lily classification. There were later 

spells as Assistant Editor for the RHS and Head Gardener for London House for 

Overseas Graduates, before we moved to Scotland. 

Over the next 15 years I looked after the family and made gardens, and 

developed our collection of pre-1930 daffodil cultivars. Collecting, cultivating 

and maintaining detailed records on a database is ongoing. An occasional stint in 

the RBG library invariably unearths illustrations (invaluable for the identification 

of cultivars) and further nuggets of useful information – as it turns out, ideal 

experience for lily registration work. Old daffodils have been identified for both 

National Trusts, private estates and individuals. 

We have lived barely two years on the croft, where the majestic stems of 

Cardiocrinum giganteum are immense, although vulnerable to summer gales. 

To help us get to know the genus better, we intend to grow as wide a range of 

lilies here as possible, given the constraints of time (bringing rough pasture into 

cultivation is a gradual process), climate (very wet, very windy, but relatively 

mild), and soil (the raised-beach portion, derived from Torridonian sandstone, is 

stony, extremely acid, but surprisingly fertile). 

Our predecessor, Vicki Matthews, who has postponed retirement in order to 

work tirelessly on the completion of the fourth edition of the International Lily 

Register, was full-time, being both lily and clematis registrar. When we asked 

the RHS whether we could submit a joint application to job-share, the Society 

kindly consented. It is immensely reassuring to have an in-house colleague who 

has decades of experience running an office. Although Duncan is principally 

the registrar for clematis, lilies generate more work, so he works on lilies too: 

for instance, he has written the lion’s share of the lily descriptions for the 1 st 

Supplement of the new Register; tends to deal with computer-related issues and 

ensures the smooth day-to-day running of our “office”. 

We value our registration work highly: it is not only our source of income, but 

enables us to keep a foot in the busy world which most people inhabit. Through 

working for the RHS we have reinvigorated old friendships and hope to forge 

new ones. We look forward to corresponding with lily and clematis enthusiasts. 

Twenty years ago, the daffodil registrar’s office was a table in the far reaches 

of the stack room of the original Lindley Library, beneath a grimy window to 

which clung sooty remnants of war-time black-out tape, with views of dreary but 

imposing tower blocks. Today, I look towards the sweeping mountain-scape 

124

of Wester Ross beyond an ever-changing Loch Ewe. As daffodil registrar, I was 

equipped with a redundant typewriter, boasting an especially long platen, from 

the RHS Accounts Department. During the intervening years, computers and 

internet connection have truly revolutionized international registration. 

Although I don’t have detailed knowledge of lilies, the principles of registration 

have held true over the decades and apply to all genera. To encourage a consistent 

approach to the naming of plant cultivars and Groups, International Cultivar 

Registration Authorities (ICRAs) apply the Articles and, wherever possible, the 

Recommendations, of The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated 

Plants. In the 1980s the Code ran to 32 pages; the current (seventh) edition has 

123. Two decades ago, upholding the tenets of the Cultivated Plant Code for 

daffodils was a relatively straightforward job. In the world of the commercially 

important new lily it is quite a different task. An underlying principle of the Code 

is that names must be universally available and their use uninhibited. Hence an 

ICRA cannot exert any influence over trademarks, which are not strictly names 

and are certainly not freely available, nor over names granted Plant Breeders’ 

Rights, which may be established according to provisions at variance to the Code. 

Such epithets, protected by legislation, are routinely used for new lilies and take 

precedence over synonyms and similar names registered by an ICRA. Challenges 

ahead include fostering greater co-operation with Plant Variety Offices and 

convincing potential registrants that international registration remains relevant 

and very worthwhile. I do hope I shall hear from you. 

‘Action’ to ‘Žonglér’: 

the Twenty-fourth Supplement to the International Lily Register 

Wouldn’t you like to know to which Division ‘Dreamcatcher’ belongs…or the 

colour of ‘Boogie Woogie’…the poise of ‘Beautiful Victoria’, or, come to that, 

the shape of ‘Cecil’? Descriptions of these lilies, and for all lily epithets registered 

between October 2004 and September 2005, appear in this most recent Supplement, 

which was published in spring 2007. 

Copies of the 64-page, A5 booklet are available from RHS Enterprises Ltd, RHS Garden, Wisley, 

Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB, UK, at £5 each plus postage: £1 in the UK; £2 for Europe and £3 

outwith Europe. I’m afraid payment by cheque (made out to RHS Enterprises Ltd), is only accepted 

in Pounds Sterling (GBP). Details of the price of multiple copies are available from the above address 

and by ‘phoning 0845 260 4505. The e-mail address for ordering on-line is mailorder@rhs.org.uk. 

It is also possible to distinguish ‘Swansea’ from ‘Stafford’ on-line, as Supplements 20 to 24 inclusive 

may be consulted using Adobe Acrobat Reader, by searching on plant registers. For those wishing 

to register ‘Red Hot’’s successor, the registration form may be down-loaded from the RHS web 

site: www.rhs.org.uk, and is available from Mrs Kate Donald, International Lily Registrar, 16 

Midtown of Inverasdale, Poolewe, Ross-shire IV22 2LW, UK; telephone 0044 (0)1445 781717; 

e-mail: lily@rhs.org.uk. 

125

126 

About the RHS Lily Group 

www.rhslilygroup.org 

The Lily Group is organised under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural 

Society in order to promote interest in lilies and related plants. 

The principal benefits to members of the Group are: 

• The Seed List. Members of the Group and others, at home and overseas, 

send their surplus seed from lily species and hybrids, other Liliaceae 

and many other garden plants and these are offered to members early 

each year. This distribution has become a major factor in increasing the 

availability of such plants. 

• The Bulb Auction. Members’ surplus bulbs of lilies and other plants are 

auctioned in October each year at different venues around the country. 

• Meetings and outings. Meetings for lectures or discussions are held each 

year at venues around the country. Outings or week-ends are arranged 

each year for members to visit gardens of interest to lily enthusiasts. 

• Newsletters. Three newsletters are distributed to members each year 

with short articles, correspondence and news of current events in the 

fields of interest of the Group. 

• Lilies and Related Plants. Articles on plants, gardens and people 

associated with the Lily Group appear in a booklet which is published 

every two years. 

Details of the current subscription and any of the above are available from 

the Group Secretary. See opposite the content page for a list of officers and 

committee members and key contact details. 

• The Lyttel Lily Cup is awarded annually by the RHS Council, on the 

recommendation of the Lily Committee, to a ‘person who has done good 

work in connection with lilies, nomocharis or fritillaries’. 

• The Lily Bowl is awarded by the Lily Group for the most meritorious 

single exhibit in a July co-operative display of lilies at an RHS show. 

• The Paul Furse Cup, first awarded in 1992, for the best fritillary or other 

plant related to lilies but not of the genus Lilium exhibit as part of a Lily 

Group Co-operative stand at an RHS show. 

• The Voelcker Cup is awarded to a person in recognition of our international 

role in promoting lilies.

Allium 

angulosum 114 

decipiens 114 

flavescens 114 

flavum 117 

globosum 116 

inaequale 116 

lineare 116 

moschatum 117 

oleraceum 116 

paczoskianum 116 

podolicum 116 

praescissum 116 

regelianum 107, 109, 

116 

rotundum 116 

savranicum 111, 116 

scorodoprasum 116 

sphaerocephalon 116 

tulipifolium 117 

Bellevalia 

sarmatica see 

speciosa 

speciosa 106, 109, 115, 

117 

Colchicum laetum 117 

Crocus reticulates 119 

Erythronium 

albidum 86 

americanum 80, 84, 

86 

californicum frontis, 

81, 83, 85 

‘White Beauty’ 81, 

82 

caucasicum 84, 86 

dens-canis 85, 85, 86 

INDEX TO PLANT NAMES 

(Erythronium) 

helenae 81, 85 

hendersonii 83, 84 

japonicum 86 

mesochorum 86 

multiscapoideum 80, 

81, 82 

oreganum 81, 83 

‘Pagoda’ 82 

propullans 80, 85, 86 

revolutum 83, 85 

‘Johnsonii’ 83 

‘Knightshayes Pink’ 

83 

‘Pink Beauty’ 83 

‘Rose Beauty’ 83 

rostratum 86 

sibiricum 86 

‘Spindlestone Surprise’ 82 

taylorii 82 

tuolumnense 82, 84 

umbillicatum 84, 86 

Fritillaria 

meleagroides 108, 109 

ruthenica 106, 107, 

109, 113 

Gagea bulbifera 111 

Gladiolus tenuis 108, 115, 

119 

Hyacinthella leucophaea 

118 

Lilium 

‘Adonis’ 48 

‘Aktiva’ 97 

albanicum 19, 20, 20, 

21, 21, 25 

(Lilium) 

‘Albany’ 97 

alexandrae 9,10, 14 

‘Angela North’ 47, 66 

‘Apfelblüte’ front cover 

‘Arena’ 97 

‘Ariadne’ 48, 49, 51 

‘Arthur Grove’ 26 

‘Aspin’ 96 

auratum 9, 10, 14 

aurelianense 87 

bakerianum 60 

‘Beguiling’ 49, 51 

‘Black Beauty’ 59, 67 

‘Black Tie’ 97 

bolanderi 73, 75, 76 

‘Brindisi’ 96 

‘Bronwen North’ 52, 66 

brownii 60 

bulbiferum 66 

croceum 60, 62, 100 

Bullwood Hybrids 15 

callosum 10,14, 62, 65 

flaviflorum 12, 14 

canadense 59, 63, 66, 

100, 102 

editorum 67 

candidum 18, 19, 20, 

20, 21, 22, 25, 62, 

69, 100, 101 

carniolicum 20, 21, 62, 

67 

jankae see jankae 

‘Casablanca’ 66 

catesbaei 67 

‘Ceb Dazzle’ 94, 96 

‘Centerfold’ 96 

chalcedonicum 18, 19, 

20, 20, 23, 24, 24, 

69, 100, 102 

127

(Lilium) 

chrystalense 71 

‘Citronella’ 66 

‘Coachella’ 15, 17 

columbianum 66, 78 

‘Conca d’Or’ 66, 94, 

concolor 10, 14 

‘Connecticut King’ 58, 

59 

‘Courier’ 96 

dalhansonii 67 

dauricum 9, 10, 11 

davidii 49, 60, 61 

‘Descant’ 49, 50 

‘Donatello’ 96 

‘Dordogne’ 97 

duchartrei 60 

‘Dynamite’ 97 

‘Elite’ see ‘Gibraltar’ 

‘Ercolano’ 96 

‘Eros’ 64, 66 

‘Expression’ 97 

‘Fangio’ 96 

‘Faros’ 66 

‘Fetis’ 89 

flavum angustifolium 

see canadense 

formosanum pricei, 

62 

‘Freya’ 96 

‘George C. Creelman’ 

87 

‘Gibraltar’ 96 

‘Gironde’ 96 

‘Glockenturm’ 90 

gloriosoides 60 

gloriosum 87, 90 

‘Golden Tycoon’ 96 

grayi 65, 67 

‘Hannah North’ 50 

‘Heidelberg’ 90 

‘Heirloom Lace’ 49 

heldreichii 19, 23 

‘Helen North’ 51 

128 

(Lilium) 

henryi 59, 61, 69, 87 

citrinum 70, 78 

‘Henryjka’ 88 

‘Heraklion’ 96 

humboldtii 78 

occelatum 67 

imperiale 87 

‘Jamaika’ 89 

jankae 21, 26 

japonicum 9, 10, 11, 

12, 14 

abeyabum 13 

Hyuga form 13 

Ishima form 11, 13 

platyfolium 13 

‘Karen North’ 50 

kelleyanum 65, 67 

kelloggii 65, 67, 71, 

72, 73, 74, 75, 78 

kesselringianum 67 

‘Lake Tahoe’ 3, 15, 16 

‘Lake Tulare’ 3, 15, 16 

‘La Mancha’ 94 

lancifolium 10, 59, 

60, 61 

‘Forrestii’, 61 

‘Flore Pleno’ 61 

lankongense back 

cover, 49, 60 

‘Latvia’ 96 

leichtlinii maximowiczii 

10, 14 

leucanthum 59, 60, 61 

lijiangense 

contents page, 60 

‘Lombardia’ 97 

longiflorum 9, 10, 12, 

14 

‘Loreto’ 96 

maculatum 10, 14 

‘Madras’ 96 

majoense 60, 62, 63 

‘Marie North’ 52 

(Lilium) 

martagon 

committee 

members page, 

17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 

23, 24, 59, 62, 100, 

102 

cattaniae 23 

sanguineo- 

purpureum 23 

medeoloides 10, 14, 61 

‘Mero Star’ 97 

michiganense 64, 71 

‘Minos’ 48 

monadelphum 26, 62 

‘Nairobi’ 97 

‘Navarosse’ 97 

‘Navona’ 96 

nepalense 62 

‘Newton’ 97 

nobilissimum 9, 10, 

13, 14 

‘Nova Scotia’ 96 

occidentale 75, 77 

‘Odysseus’ 48 

‘Orange Triumph’ 66 

‘Orestes’ 48 

‘Orriolo’ 96 

pardalinum 63, 69, 

71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 

77, 79 

parryi 65 

parvum 71, 72, 77, 78 

hallidayi 65, 78 

‘Pavia’ 96 

‘Pisa’ 96 

philadelphicum 100, 

102, 103 

pitkinense 63, 67 

poilanei 63, 65 

polyphyllum 67 

pomponium 23, 62, 100 

primulinum 

burmanicum 62

(Lilium) 

‘Prunotto’ 96 

pseudotigrinum 62 

pumilum 59, 60 

pyrenaicum 60, 62 

‘Red Alert’ 96 

‘Red Classic’ 96 

‘Red Reflex’ 97 

regale 59, 60, 60, 61, 

68, 87, 90 

rhodopeum 19, 20, 

20, 24, 25, 26, 67 

‘Rialto’ 97 

‘Rosemary North’ 50 

‘Rosewood’ 17 

rosthornii 60, 61 

‘Rosy Dawn’ 94, 97 

‘Royal Gold’ 66 

‘Royal Sunset’ 96 

rubellum 9, 10, 14 

rubescens 73, 74, 76 

‘Salmon Classic’ 96 

‘Samur’ 96 

‘Sapporo’ 97 

sargentiae 60, 87 

‘Schokolade’ 88 

shastense 73 

‘Siberia’ 97 

(Lilium) 

‘Simplon’ 97 

SNOWSTORM see ‘Aspin’ 

‘Sorbonne’ 97 

speciosum 9, 10, 14 

rubrum 59, 60, 61 

clivorum 10 

‘Stargazer’ 66 

‘Striker’ 97 

sulphureum 60, 87 

sulphurgale 87 

superbum 59, 63, 73, 

79, 100, 103 

taliense 60 

kaichen 60 

‘Tarragona’ 97 

‘Theodor Haber’ 67 

‘Theseus’ 50 

‘Tiber’ 97 

‘Top Gun’ 96 

‘Trento’ 97 

‘Tresor’ 96 

TRIUMPHATOR see 

‘Zanlophator’ 

‘Trumao’ 97 

‘Turandot’ 96 

‘Vespucci’ 97 

‘Vico Queen’ 26 

(Lilium) 

wardii 76, 78 

washingtonianum 63, 

64, 72, 73, 76 

purpurascens 63, 

64, 67, 74, 100 

wigginsii 74, 75 

wolmeri 63 

‘White Heaven’ 96 

xanthellum luteum 60 

‘Yellow Stargazer’ 66 

‘Zanlophator’ 96 

Muscari neglectum 111, 

118 

Ornithogallum 

fischeri 118 

kochii 118 

Scilla sibirica 106, 107, 

113, 118 

Tulipa 

biebersteiniana 106, 

111, 113, 120 

schrenkii 106, 109, 

110, 120 

Photo credits 

Front cover, pp. 88 & 89 (Walter Erhardt); half-title, pp. 80(main picture), 81(left), 

84(br) (G.S. Phillips); committee page & p. 98 (Jeff Coe); content page, back 

cover, pp. 58, 60, 61, 64 & 65 (Pontus Wallstén); p.3 (Pat Huff); p. 6 (Valerie 

Finnis/RHS, Lindley Library); pp. 10,12 &13(bl & br) (Katsuro Arakawa); p. 13(top) 

(Eiko Toyama); pp. 15, 16 & 17 (Betty Fox); pp. 20, 21, 24 & 25 (Arne Strid); 

p. 27 (Jim Gardiner); pp. 47, 50, 51, 54, 55, 72, 73(inset), 76 & 77 (Alan Mitchell); 

p. 56 (Barbara Hayward); p. 68 (Alisdair Aird); p. 73 (main picture) (Charlie 

Kroell); p. 80(inset), 81(r), 84(tl & tr), 85 (Brian Mathew); 84(bl) (D. King); 

pp. 91, 94 & 95 (Charles & Lee Reynolds); pp. 106, 107, 110, 111, 114, 115 & 118 

(Gennady Firsov). 

129

130 

Guidelines for authors 

Contributions for publication in the Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group 

yearbook, Lilies and Related Plants, are invited on any aspect of lilies and related 

plants – growing, cultivation and breeding, species and cultivars, history, people 

who have made a significant contribution to the subject and nurseries or gardens. 

Any questions concerning articles can be addressed to the Editor, Caroline Boisset, 

at: carolineboisset@btinternet.com or at St Olaves, 19 Woolley Street, Bradfordon-Avon, 

Wiltshire BA15 1AD, UK; telephone +44 (0)1225 864808. 

It is a condition of acceptance that contributions are the original work of the 

author(s) and that the Editor should be notified if they have been previously 

published or are under consideration for publication elsewhere. The Editor 

reserves the right to refuse any contribution and to make minor textual changes 

without reference to the author. 

Contributions can be submitted in any format, hand-written, typescript, 

double-spaced on one side of the paper, or, preferably on floppy disc or CDrom, 

in formats compatible with Windows (Word) or Mac (Quark/InDesign); if in 

the latter format a hard copy should also be supplied. 

High quality illustrations, colour transparencies, prints (in colour or black 

and white), or A5 high-resolution digital pictures (these should be at least 300 

lines, dots or pixels per inch) are welcome. Authors must remember that it is 

sometimes necessary to print an illustration in black and white at the discretion 

of the Editor. Maps, diagrams and line drawings are also welcome and should 

be drawn clearly in black ink within a minimum base line width of 110mm. If 

artwork and illustrations have previously been published elsewhere or are the 

property of another, it is the responsibility of the author to obtain any permission 

needed for reprinting, and to forward a copy of the permission to the Editor. 

Authors should also be aware that, as the lead-time for an issue can be up to two 

years, any illustrative material may be in the care of the Editor for a long period 

of time. 

The present Editor’s policy is to publish the author’s original words as far 

as possible but should any changes be necessary the author will be consulted. 

Proofs will not normally be sent for approval prior to publication. 

References should be cited in the text referring to a list of references at the 

end of the article. 

Where the Editor considers it necessary she will refer manuscripts to members 

of the Lily Group Committee for their consideration and advice.

LILIES - RHS Lily Group

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