The white lily has stood for purity for centuries. The lily is also a sign of the resurrection, and as such, is the Easter flower. In Bermuda and the United States, great fields of shining lilies are grown in the early spring to adorn our homes. In contrast to the fair white lilies, there are many colored varieties, gorgeously arrayed in crimson, scarlet, orange, and golden tints. In all, several hundred species are known. In many parts of the world, lilies are a significant group of flowering plants in literature and culture.
Lilies grow only in the Northern Hemisphere, most are in the temperate zone. The lovely white Madonna lily of southern Europe was used for years as the Easter lily. But it often failed to bloom in time for Easter, so Bermuda lilies were used. Imported bulbs were grown in greenhouses for this purpose.
Among the commoner varieties of colored lilies are the tiger lily, a native of Japan, which bears dark-red purplish-spotted flowers; the Siberian coral lily, which has brilliant scarlet flowers; the gold-banded or Japan lily, with yellow-banded purple-spotted white flowers; and the showy lily, also a Japanese species, with red-dotted pinkish flowers. The giant lily of India, which has huge funnel-shaped purple-stained flowers, grows from 10 to 14 feet high, while the other species range from 2 to 5 feet. Wild lilies of North America are the Turk’s-cap, Canadian, and wood lilies (for illustrations in color, see Flowers).
The Lily family “Liliaceae” is an important group since so many of its members, including asparagus, onion, leek, garlic, chives, etc., are used for food. Some of the garden flowers of this family are the lily of the valley, tulip, hyacinth, and tuberose. The lily genus (Lilium) distinguished by its tall stem, short sessile leaves that are alternating, scattered, or whorled, and huge showy bell-shaped or trumpet-shaped 6-parted flowers that contain 6 stamens and a seed-vessel.
The beautiful white calla lily, or arum lily, with its brilliant yellow spadix. belongs to an entirely unrelated genus. Many other so-called lilies, such as the belladonna lily, belong to the Iris or Amaryllis groups.
Lilly of the Valley
Lilies are tall perennials that grow to a height of 1-6 feet. Their organs of perennation are scaly, bare subterranean bulbs that can be tunicless or naked. Nestling among the broad cool leaves, the dainty white bells of the lily of the valley sway back and forth, wafting to the breezes their delicate perfume. This well-known plant is native to Europe, Asia, and America, growing in shady, damp spots and blossoming in the spring months.
The smooth, linear-shaped leaves nose directly from the roots, and in their midst, the 6-toothed bells nod on their slender green stems. There are few plants more satisfactory than the lily of the valley. It is cultivated in hothouses throughout the year, and then planted in our gardens. It soon escapes along shady roadsides, its graceful “bells” nodding in the breeze.
Before the Second World War, more than 90 percent of the bulbs were imported from Japan and only about 10 percent from Bermuda. The lily bulbs are now grown commercially in Washington, Oregon, California, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana.
Related Reading: Nymphaea Hardy hybrids (water lily)
