Content
White lilies are a conventional group of flowers with buds of light shades. The petals can be either pure white or pinkish or yellowish in color. They are elongated in shape, mostly large, although they can also be relatively small. White lilies are universal in terms of color, so they can be used in single plantings and all kinds of compositions. The basic rules for sowing bulbs, recommendations for the care and use of flowers in garden design are described in this material.
Varieties
White lilies (like other flowers of this family) are mainly distributed in the temperate climate zone of Eurasia and North Africa. There are several dozen varieties of snow-white lilies, and for convenience they are combined into several groups:
- Martagons - produce large flowers in large quantities. They are unpretentious, attractive, and easy to grow. They require virtually no maintenance - just occasional watering and feeding is enough.
- Asian hybrids are a very large group that includes dozens of varieties of white lilies. They are also unpretentious and produce many flowers - on one stem from 5 to 15, and sometimes up to 30. Flowering begins in mid-June and lasts two weeks.Such plants are not only unpretentious, but also resistant to various pests and diseases.
- Long-flowered hybrids are miniature white lilies with a height of 30-70, sometimes up to 90 cm. They produce a lot of narrow leaves, reaching a length of 12 cm. They are distinguished by large white flowers with a diameter of up to 15 cm with elongated, graceful petals.
- Interspecific hybrids (including LA, OT and LO) are the largest white lilies, reaching a diameter of 20-25 cm. Their petals and flower stalks are quite powerful, withstand gusts of wind and do not bend even under the weight of the buds. They grow well in open areas, on loose and fertile soils.
Varieties of white lilies with photos and names
White flowers are noticeable from afar due to the contrast with the green background and fairly large size. Most varieties produce tall bushes 1-1.5 m high. The bulbs are round, up to 15 cm in diameter, and have several scales. The buds can vary in size, after blooming they reach a diameter of 10-15 cm, often 18-25 cm. A description of the most beautiful snow-white lilies with photos is presented in the following sections.
Lily regal
This regal white lily has several famous names - royal, regale, Chinese or Tibetan (lat. Lilium regale). Such names are associated with the large size of the flowers. The bush itself reaches 1.2-1.5, and often 1.8 m. The bulbs are up to 15 cm in diameter and produce shoots with racemose inflorescences consisting of 15-30 tubular flowers. Moreover, each of them grows up to 15 cm in length.
The color of the petals is white on the inside, and the outer surfaces are pinkish. Shades of yellow are noticeable in the central part. This white lily blooms in mid-July and lasts two weeks.
White and pink flowers bloom in midsummer
Apollo
Apollo is a famous variety of white lilies that produces flowers from the end of June to the first ten days of July. The petals are pure white, with dark shades in the central part. The stems are straightened, covered with a large number of leaves of rich green color. The flowers themselves have a classic six-petal, cupped shape. To propagate the variety, bulbs with loosely fitting scales are used.
White lilies of this variety look beautiful in single plantings
Madonna
The Madonna variety (Lilium candidum) is also called the white or snow-white lily. This is a perennial herbaceous plant, the average height of which is 70-150 cm, but sometimes up to 2 m. The bulbs are 8-9 cm in diameter, ovoid in shape. Peduncles are cylindrical, dense, 2-3 cm wide at the base, green in color.
The flowers are small, reaching 6-8 cm in diameter, and resemble wide funnels in appearance. They give off a fairly strong aroma. They are collected in inflorescences of several pieces (5-10, sometimes up to 15-20). Flowering begins at the end of June and continues for 10-14 days.
This variety of white lily is light-loving
White Haven
White Heaven is a variety with beautiful white flowers, the length of which reaches 15 cm. If you look closely, a faint green tint is noticeable in the central part. The petals are partially rounded and look quite elegant. The stems are small, reaching 110 cm.
The advantage of this variety is that it blooms throughout the summer.
White Fox
White Fox is a variety with white flowers and a light yellow tint. It produces small stems reaching 110-130 cm. The flowers are tubular, up to 10-13 cm in diameter. They have an elongated shape, so they resemble bells in appearance. They look beautiful in single plantings.
Flowering occurs in the first half of summer
Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman, i.e. “beauty” is a tall white lily, reaching 180 cm. It differs favorably from many other varieties in that it blooms throughout the summer, and not for 1-2 weeks. The inflorescences are large, with a light cream tint, pink in the center.
The flowers have an attractive white-pink hue
Aaron
Aaron is an Asian hybrid that is resistant to frost, drought, and many diseases. Produces white flowers with small petals and interesting double edges. Peduncles grow up to 70-80 cm. Flowering occurs within two weeks.
The flowers are small but attractive due to the double edges of the petals
Planting and caring for snow-white lilies
White lilies are best planted in the spring, because in this case the bulbs do not get wet and do not freeze. You can plan planting for the second half of April, when the likelihood of return frosts is already low. It is optimal if during the day the air warms up to at least +10OC. If necessary, the deadline can be shifted to summer or early autumn. Moreover, many summer residents believe that this is the best option, since the bulbs undergo hardening and have time to take root.
The site for white lilies should be sunny, with fertilized soil and no accumulations of puddles of rain or melt water. The landing process itself looks like this:
- The soil is dug up, fertilized, and several holes are marked.
- Sprinkle sand and wood ash on the bottom and place the onion bottom down.
- Cover with soil and water with settled water.
- When growing LA hybrids, Asiatic or Oriental white lilies, it is advisable to mulch the soil, for example, with sawdust or peat.
The depth of planting of white lily bulbs, as well as the interval between them, depend on the variety.Low-growing varieties take up the least space, and large, tall varieties take up the most space. When planting, it is recommended to choose the values indicated in the table.
Group of varieties | Depth, cm | Distance, cm |
short | 8-10 | 15-20 |
Medium height | 10-15 | 20-25 |
Tall | 15-20 | 25-30 |
To grow beautiful white lilies, as in the photo, the plants need to be provided not only with proper planting, but also with suitable care. Basically it comes down to watering and regular fertilization. Although it is important not to violate the dosage here, as this can do more harm than good.
The tips are:
- Water is given as needed - mostly weekly, although during droughts twice as often. Water so that the surface layer of soil (2-3 cm) has time to dry out, but does not crack due to insufficient moisture.
- Feeding is given regularly, from the emergence of seedlings until August. In the spring, fertilize with nitrogen compounds, for example, urea 15-20 g per 10 liters. When buds appear, feed with complex fertilizer. Next, white lilies are fed every 2-3 weeks until mid-August. Moreover, they should contain more potassium and phosphorus, and minimal nitrogen.
- If the white lily grows for the first season, it is better to carefully remove the buds that appear before flowering begins. This is the right decision, which will allow the plants to gain strength, which will result in a large number of large flowers appearing next season.
- Periodically, the soil is loosened and weeded.To make your work easier, planting white lilies can be mulched with straw, sawdust or other materials.
- Separately, it is worth mentioning the preparation of lilies for winter. On the eve of the first frost, they should be cut almost flush with the ground and treated with Bordeaux mixture or another fungicide. When frost comes, the plants are mulched with dry sawdust, leaf litter and covered with burlap. But if the winters are very harsh, it is easier to dig up the bulbs and store them in the refrigerator or cellar.
White lilies look good in open areas
Reproduction
White lilies, like other varieties, can be propagated in several ways:
- Bulbs.
- Children (onions).
- Bulb scales.
The first option is the main one - it is the bulbs that are most often purchased as seed. They are planted in spring, summer or autumn. Subsequently, after 3-4 years at the beginning of the season, white lilies are dug up and divided into several bulbs, which are planted separately. This is best done from August to September.
At the base of the stem of white lilies, small bulbs are formed, which are called babies. The deeper the planting, the more material there will be for propagation. The children are also separated in the fall and transplanted to a new place.
There is an option for propagating white lilies using scales that cover the bulbs. In the fall, the bush is dug up and the cover scales are separated, transplanted to a new place, watered and then covered for the winter.
Diseases and pests
White lilies can suffer due to excessive watering, cloudy and warm summers. They are especially often infected with wet or bacterial rot, as well as fusarium or brown spot.In most cases, it is possible to save plants - for this you need to carry out timely treatments with fungicides:
- "Bordeaux mixture";
- "Maksim";
- "Profit";
- "Ordan".
Flowers are often attacked by insects, for example:
- Lily and May beetles;
- mole crickets;
- thrips;
- wireworms.
The most effective way to combat them is with insecticides:
- "Fitoverm";
- "Aktara";
- "Aktellik";
- "Karbofos".
Photos in landscape design
White lilies look spectacular almost anywhere in the garden, as they harmoniously combine with different flowers and are quite attractive in single plantings, especially against the backdrop of a lawn and dense foliage of ornamental shrubs.
Several options for using white lilies to decorate the garden are discussed below:
- Planting next to a bush.
- Composition with other flowers.
- Lawn edging.
- Single landing option.
Conclusion
White lilies are one of the most beautiful flowers. Basically they produce large petals with slightly curved edges. It is better to plant such bushes quite spaciously, retreating from neighboring plantings at least 50 cm. Then all the white flowers will be clearly visible from different points of the garden.
