Hey guys and gals I found this pic out on the World Wide Web and was hoping someone here could give me a possible ID. Not sure if it's been PS'd but it's gorgeous and would love to have one if I could find one. TIA

It's a species lily. Lilium auratam. The gold ray lily. They are beautiful but supposedly not very hardy.

Thank you Joe

They will be Hardy for you in a zone 8. I have them in my 5b zone and they are hardy here. I think the soil acidity and drainage are more important than the cold hardiness for this species lily.

Thanks

The Japanese Golden Ray Lily .Massive scented blooms on a 3 ft stem

Brian mentioned soil acidity... I don't think they will grow in alkaline soil. I tried it once and just as it went into bloom it dropped its leaves starting at the bottom and on up the stalk. This is a sign of poor drainage which I knew I had. The bulb rotted and I haven't tried it again.

bearsearch said:They will be Hardy for you in a zone 8. I have them in my 5b zone and they are hardy here. I think the soil acidity and drainage are more important than the cold hardiness for this species lily.

Brian,the heat in the Dallas-Ft. Worth-Burleson area can exceed 100' F for weeks on end during July and August. Is there another Gold Band hybrid that would have higher heat tolerance?

Sorry Lorn. I took Joe's statement that they are "supposedly not very hardy" in respects to cold tolerance not heat. Most things I have read in regards to hardiness refer to the lowest temperatures a plant will survive at, not the highest. Though we certainly can't match the heat of Texas there have been plenty of days over 100F in my area and my gold bands haven't suffered any damage from it yet. I've found light shade, mulch and a little extra moisture go a long way in reducing heat stress.

Stephanie--I found out from another forum you are in Burleson Texas. I got lost in a dense fog on my way to work in Weatherford one morning and ended up in Burleson (years go). I think Gold Ray will grow OK for you. Watch your soil pH, it tends to run alkaline in the Fort Worth area. If you have evergreens and they're doing OK, then your soil pH is OK too. ( I noticed a lot of people had trouble raising evergreens in the area). Add plenty of compost into the soil to help keep the soil pH at favorable levels. Add compost often as higher soil temperatures decompose compost quite fast (I noticed while checking dirt there). As Brian says, mulch heavily to keep the roots cooler and plant in an area the gets dappled shade in the afternoons so the flowers hold their color. Give it a try--should be OK.

Brian, I was thinking more about flower color stability, color shifting, etc. and not much on the hardiness aspect. As you say, mulch and afternoon shade works wonders with 100'F plus days!

Roosterlorn said:Stephanie--Watch your soil pH, it tends to run alkaline in the Fort Worth area. If you have evergreens and they're doing OK, then your soil pH is OK too. ( I noticed a lot of people had trouble raising evergreens in the area).

Junipers are an exception. Most species do fine in alkaline soil.

I agree, the lily requires ericaceous soil, and I add grit and multi-purpose as I find straight ericaceous clammy and not fluffy enough.

Given this, if you don't have the right pH, it is best grown in a pot as it will die in alkaline soil over a couple of years. Cool roots and head in the sun, but 100F is asking too much of it and certainly the advice given above is helpful.



Worth the effort. In some the colouring and speckling is more coarse than others. The example you photographed almost has colour in the gold band. I think I have seen this before but not on L.Auratum. I'll have a scout around.

Regards,

Peter