Re: tiger lilies/other lilies/virus
- Subject: Re: tiger lilies/other lilies/virus
- From: E*@aol.com
- Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 13:12:29 EDT
In a message dated 5/6/02 11:46:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
SSaxton@schwabe.com writes:
<< Is this still true? If so, how far away do the tiger lilies need to be
from other types of lilies? (I just bought a collection of tigers last fall
and planted them throughout my garden, so you can imagine my concern!)
Thanks. >>
Yes, this is true although it may take some years for the virus to affect
other species in your garden.
I base my statements not ony on reading but what has happened in my garden.
My garden is over fifty years old, probably more and has many pass-along
plants that were the backbone of gardens before this new plant explosion.
Tiger lilies, Lilium lancifolium, are nearly wild on our farm. We have
hundreds of them.
They reproduce easily from small black bulbils formed in the leaf axils of
each stalk. They apparently carry the virus but are not affected by the
virus. In the past few years some catalogs have been carrying Liliium
lancifolium in yellow, pink and white. I have purchased the white and can
tell you they do not have the vigor of the orange original. There is an
imroved form of the the orange lily and it is an impressive garden plant.
Black Beauty which is an Oriental cross is not harmed by tigers and is very
long lasting, a permanent plant in the gardent.
I am not a true Lilium fan so have not latest information on health of lilies
but do have Asiatic lilies in some quantitites and and some Orientals
dwindling in health over the past few years. They are infected with some
virus if you diagnose mottled and splotched leaves as virus infection. Each
year some disappear and I will buy no more Orientals. Regals (classed as
trumpets), my favorite, I am not sure of, they just seem to lack vigor.
Asiatics mostly survive and do well. I have none that are diseased, the
major problem being rodents. You are pretty safe buying Asiatics and if you
check catalogs you will find many beautiful plants. They are not fragrant
being the chief complaint against them.
Orientals are sick in the second year of life here so I don't buy them. I
cannot remove the Lilium lancifolium or tigers from my gardens,they have been
here years and are well established.
On the positive side, tigers are tall, healthy, reliable and self seeding.
They are marvelous cut flowers lasting for many weeks in a an old wine bottle
on the kitchen counter. They are orange with black spots and this is a
drawback to American gardeners who want no orange plants. If you travel
around the world and look at gardens you will find blazing orange beds
everywhere. Only here, the orange flower is taboo.
In summary, tigers do in practice carry viruses. It may take some years for
soil to become infected and if they are planted in separate locations you may
have years of virus free growth. I can only attest to gardens with old
stands of tiger lilies, the Orientals die within two years, sometimes the
third year if you are lucky.
Claire Peplowski
NYS z4
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