What is a True Lily?

Lily flower is the one of the most popular flower with colorful, star-shaped morphology. Flower Arrangers first choices while preparing a flower arrangement. Lilies add graceful elegance to any garden, so botanists favors also; they are magnificent plants which command attention wherever they are.There are more than 14.350 cultivars of lilies within 8 different divisions.Lilies are popular ornamental plants that also have been using in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. Some lily cultivars have more than 150years old, some of them are hybrids have been developed later. So which of the mare true lily? What are the classifications? How can we recognize them? What are the differences between these lily cultivars? These are the questions we tried to find answers.

The true lily, which called genus Lilium, perennial herbaceous plant in the family Liliaceae, originates from China and widely ornamental plant in Eastern Asia,Europe, and North America. These lilies have some differences between daylily. Most of them morphological, and these differences can recognizable from non-specialists. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large, prominent flowers. True lilies are perennials flowers: Flowering every year without plantation. The flowers are large, often fragrant, and placed on a single stem. They have 6 petals, and they are not layered unlike double flower lilies. True lilies found in trumpet-shaped, bowl-shaped, funnel-shaped and recurved. They are also had longer blooming period compare today lilies. Each bloom lasts a week or more.

‍

Daylilies are characteristically tough and tenacious plants with their long, slender leaves. The roots are tuberous and have multi-stems with flowers; so the most recognizable thing by non-specialists is the amount of stems. They can contain double flowers layered in each other like roselilies. Have fewer anthers than true lily with less blooming time, which is beginning in the early morning and lasting until the evening. Daylilies can shape as circular, triangular, double, ruffled, star-shaped, and spider shaped. Despite their name, they are not true lilies. Daylily is also called as Hemerocallis comes from “Hemera” which means “day” in a Greek language. Daylilies are suitable to grow in all types of landscapes, they are adoptable to various soil unlike true lilies. Hybridizers have been making great improvements in daylilies. Originally, the only colors were yellow, orange, and fulvous red. Today, we have colors ranging from near-whites, pastels, yellows, oranges, pinks, vivid reds, crimson, purple, nearly true-blue, and fabulous blends. You can order lilies all year long from Lily&Co. Please do not hesitate to contact with us.