Oriental lilies: varieties, difference from Asian, planting and care

More and more often in the gardens you can find magnificent fragrant flowers - lilies. Due to their beautiful appearance and extraordinary aroma, they are becoming more and more popular and extremely quickly win the love of flower growers. Oriental lilies, which have large colorful buds, stand out from these flowers. For their beauty, the flowers were named "Beauties of the East", and they are also called the most aristocratic flowers.

Oriental lilies are often called oriental or oriental hybrids, insofar as they were obtained by crossing different Asian species. They stand out for their variety of color palette and unusual shapes. Most of the representatives of Oriental are characterized by large flowers, reaching a diameter of up to 31 cm, and an incredibly pleasant scent. This is what makes oriental hybrids the favorites of florists, and their cultivation accounts for 10% of all types of lilies. The flowering of oriental hybrids occurs at the end of summer with the onset of cool weather.

The different varieties of these flowers can vary significantly from each other. The oriental hybrid belongs to flowering perennials. The main vegetative organs of the plant are the rhizome and the bulb. The stem of the plant is long (70-150 cm), simple, ends with a bulbous bottom. The leaf plates are flat, spiraling growth.

In the spring, a bud is formed on the bottommost leaf in the corner, which turns into a small bulb the next year, and a peduncle stem is formed next to it. Inflorescences come in a variety of colors: from snow-white to scarlet, pinkish and sandy, purple and yellow. Numerous varieties have contrasting streaks and dots on the petals. The flowers reach an average of 10-20 cm in diameter, the petals are flat, slightly wavy, their tips can be curled or slightly curled. Inflorescences can be either simple or terry.

Anthers are predominantly brownish or orange in color. On one peduncle, from 1 to 10 buds can form, which are turned in different directions. Some varieties of oriental hybrids have supra-bulb aerial roots. You can meet oriental beauties in different parts of the world: Australia, South America, Europe and New Zealand.

The closest relative of the oriental hybrid is the Asiatic lily, but despite this, they have enough differences. First of all, the difference is:

• plant height;
• the diameter of the flower;
• frost resistance;
• types of color of buds.

The maximum height of oriental hybrids is about 120 cm, while Asian hybrids can grow up to 150 cm... The flowers of the oriental lily are larger (about 30 cm) and smell quite expressively; in the Asian lily they reach 20 cm and do not have a strong aroma. The buds of oriental hybrids are predominantly white, yellow, crimson or pink, while the Asiatic can have a wide variety of colors.

Compared to Asian oriental lilies are more demanding on the conditions of detention, therefore, in order to admire their beauty, it is necessary to strictly follow certain rules of care... Relatives of oriental lilies are Japanese species that grow in the mountains, so a certain soil composition is suitable for their successful cultivation.

They also differ from Asian ones by weak frost resistance, which is especially important in regions with cold winters. Oriental beauties are also sensitive to feeding.They need to be introduced according to a clear scheme and with specific minerals. Asiatic lilies are more unpretentious and less prone to disease than their relatives.

The group of oriental lilies includes different types and varieties, which may have some differences. Mostly they belong to decorative types. Oriental hybrids, depending on the structure of the flower, are tubular, cupped, flat and turban.

• White oriental lily distributed mainly in the Balkans and Asia. The flowers of the plant are white in color, at the base of the petals of a light yellowish tone. The lily blooms in mid-summer, much earlier than other species.

• Oriental lily belongs to large plants, can reach 1 m in height. On the inside, the petals are white-yellow in color, and on the outside they are covered with dots and small pimples. The lily blooms in July-August, the buds emit a pleasant, pronounced aroma.

• Time Out belongs to the most unpretentious oriental hybrids, therefore it is best suited for beginners. The flowers are not large in size and are 18-20 cm in diameter. The petals are widened, with longitudinal yellow stripes and reddish stamens. The height of the flower is 100-120 cm, the flowering period is the end of August.

• "Asterion" can have a height of 40 to 120 cm. The buds are rather large, when opened, their diameter is about 23 cm. On one peduncle, up to 3 flowers grow at the same time, the petals of the lily are slightly wavy, creamy white.

• "Casablanca" it stands out in large buds - about 25 cm in diameter. Several flowers are formed on one stem, directed in different directions. The plant grows to a height of about 100 cm.

• "Marco Polo" differs in pale pink flowers. The buds bloom at the end of July.

• "Star Class" has a height of 110 cm. The diameter of the inflorescences is about 20 cm, their center is white, and the edges of the petals are pink.

• Acapulco has relatively small cupped buds (about 18 cm in diameter). The petals are crimson pink and wavy edges.

• Brasilia It stands out with delicate white buds, which are bordered by pinkish outlines and dots of the same color.

• Kissproof characterized by large inflorescences of deep red color with white edging.

• "Dizzy" has white flowers, which have a longitudinal burgundy strip in the center of the petals, and specks of the same color are placed over their entire surface. It has a delicate scent, the edges of the petals are slightly wavy.

• Mondrian has delicate pearl pink inflorescences, in the middle they are light yellow, and pink on top.

• Mona lisa with pale pink buds that have a white border.

• Pandora differs in pink flowers with wavy edges.

• "Cassandra" attracts with beautiful colorful flowers: inside they are yellowish-white, in the very center there are greenish veins, the bottom of the petals and throat are yellow-green, and the outer part is white with a slight yellowish tinge.

• "Specialosum" possesses relatively small turbid inflorescences with curved petals. The colors range from pure white to scarlet. The inner part of the bud is darker, but gradually the shade lightens and the edges of the petals become white.

• "Henry" changes the color of the flower as it blooms: at the very beginning it is lemon-green, in the middle it is yellow, and at the end of flowering it is orange.

• "Cobra" it stands out for its original colors and a rather strong aroma. The petals of the flower are dark crimson, with a milky border, the center of the bud is strewn with black dots. The plant reaches a height of 90-110 cm, and the inflorescences have a diameter of 20-25 cm.

• "Snowboard" belongs to terry lilies and has a snow-white color, diluted with pinkish specks and the same strokes along the edges of the petals. The plant is not very tall, about 80 cm, great for growing as a pot crop.

• "Entertainer" - Another potted variety of oriental lilies, which reaches 55 cm in height. The petals of the flower are pink with a darker speck and a light center.

• "Josephine" It is distinguished by buds with large petals of different shades of pink and dark pink dots. The edges of the flower have a white corrugated border. The height of the plant is about 90 cm, up to 10 buds with a pronounced sweetish smell can form on one peduncle.

• "Salmon Star" - tiger lily with tricolor color and bright aroma. The flower petals are white, light pink and orange with darker specks. They are tapered towards the tip, with wavy edges. The plant grows up to 110 cm, the diameter of the inflorescences reaches 18-25 cm. 8-14 flowers bloom at the same time.

• "Marlon" belongs to new varieties with beautiful bright pink inflorescences bordered with white edging. The height of the flower is about 110 cm, 2-3 buds with a pronounced pleasant aroma are formed on one peduncle.

• "Paradero" - a lily with rich pink petals, which are decorated with a white border and dark specks. Their edges are wavy, and the flower diameter reaches 22 cm.

• "Barbados" differs in large fragrant inflorescences. The petals with wavy edges have a crimson-pink color with a white border and dark blotches.

• "Curly Sue" possesses large inflorescences with corrugated edges and pale pink color. The throat of the flower is strewn with dark cherry dots, and the edges are lighter in color. The buds give off a rich pleasant smell. The height of the bush is not too large - 60-90 cm.

• "Tiber" has rather large flowers with slightly rounded whitish-pink petals and a white central part.

• Helvetia It stands out with white flowers with bright orange stamens and corrugated edges. The tips of the petals are beautifully curved.

• "Siberia" - a snow-white lily with rather large inflorescences.

• Rapid Romance - a low potted variety of lilies (60 cm) with bright pink flowers that have a white edging and red dots.

• Chill Hoot has white inflorescences with a yellow center.

• May Wedding refers to terry hybrids and is distinguished by the complete absence of stamens, therefore it is a component of wedding bouquets. The petals are greenish-white, while the middle of the flower is olive yellow. In their shape, lily inflorescences resemble a lotus. The diameter of a double bud is about 20-25 cm. The height of the plant is 120-150 cm, 3-7 fragrant buds are formed on one stem, looking up.

• Muscadet - a white lily with a scattering of pink freckles and wavy edges of the petals.

It is worth planting oriental lilies in August or in spring after frosts. First you need to inspect the bulb for damage or decay. It should be dry with shiny scales.

There are certain requirements for planting oriental hybrids:

• in the neighborhood, you should not plant bushy plants or with a powerful root system;
• the site should be well lit, especially in the morning;
• for them it is worth choosing a place well sheltered from the wind and draft.

Oriental lilies are very sensitive to soil quality. It must be well loosened and mixed with peat and mineral fertilizers (100 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium phosphate, 1 bucket of peat are added per 1 m2). To avoid waterlogging, good drainage needs to be organized, and it is also better to choose areas on slopes where excess water will drain. Before planting, lily bulbs must be soaked in a solution of karbofos for 20 minutes, and then in a light solution of manganese for half an hour.After that, they are dumped in sand and planted in holes 15-20 cm deep, where a little sand is also added.

Many varieties of oriental hybrids do well in containers, therefore they can be kept in a pot at home.

Oriental lilies require care and attention:

• in summer, flowers need moderate watering at the root, after which you need to mulch the ground around;
• you need to regularly loosen the ground;
• after the appearance of buds, the plant is watered with ammonium nitrate;
• it is worth feeding lilies 2-3 times per season with nitrogen and mineral supplements, and after flowering, potash fertilizers and superphosphate are applied;
• shelters are built for the winter and insulated with a large amount of fallen leaves.

Oriental lilies are prone to disease. The appearance of yellow stems indicates brown spot, which is treated with "Fitosporin" or "Hom". Improper care or conditions of detention provoke the appearance of different fungal diseases and rot. They are treated by removing the damaged parts and using "Fundazol".

Of the pests, the most dangerous for lilies is lily beetlethat eats leaf plates and flowers. This red-orange pest gets rid of such drugs as Iskra, Funfanon. Besides him, plants are damaged bear, thrips and wireworm. The fight against them consists in the use of baits and preparations against pests ("Zemlin", "Thunder", "Grizzly"). From aphids effective "Bazudin", "Neoron".

You can find out how to prepare oriental lilies for winter by watching the video below.