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Aug 1, 2016 7:37 AM CST
Name: della
hobart, tasmania
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Photo Contest Winner: 2015
Enjoyed the read. Thumbs up

If you couldn't find pollen, did you try 'Bellingham Star' as a pod parent this year, Lorn?

I hope I can add a bit of info here about the heritage of 'Tall Boy', as I looked some stuff up after Joe asked about it in the 2016 thread, and it's part of Australian lily history. There's a book called Liliums in Australia by R. M. Withers, pub. 1967, and the information, pictures and quotes below come from that book.

Around 1913, the founding president of The Australian Lilium Society, Mr. Gilbert Errey, grew some 70 varieties of Lilium at Hazeldene, Victoria. Most of these lilies at the time were species and from his foundation stock Gilbert "...pioneered the hybridizing of liliums in Australia, at a time when hybrids were frowned upon as mongrels by lilium growers overseas." Time has proven one of his most important lilies to be a selection of L. speciosum; 'Gilrey'. By the time of writing of Liliums in Australia, 'Gilrey' was reported to be the source of all the dark colouring in Australian and New Zealand speciosum-auratum hybrids, that group we now call Orientals. 'Gilrey' had also became the pod parent of Australia's most famous lily, 'Jillian Wallace'.

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Gilbert Errey.

"In 1919, Mr. Errey moved to Warbuton and in 1926 to Lilydale. Whilst living at Warbuton he met the late Mr. Roy Wallace, who later was to produce that famous lilium, Lilium 'Jillian Wallace', one of the parents of which was Lilium speciosum 'Gilrey', raised by Mr. Errey."

Still at Warbuton during the 1930s, Roy Wallace created L. 'Jillian Wallace' and named it for his granddaughter, Jillian.

"It was during [the] period between the wars that Lilium x parkmannii 'Jillian Wallace' was produced, and probably no other lilium is so widely known, or has achieved such acclamation throughout the world. Since the second world war, those gardeners in Australia who grow many or only a few liliums, have all grown it and marvelled at its grace, form and colour."

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"In 1932, the late Mr. Wallace pollinated L. speciosum 'Gilrey' with pollen from L. auratum Crimson Queen. One seed capsule was produced and from it two seedlings were grown. In February, 1936, the two seedlings had reached flowering age. One flowered giving flowers just like a L. speciosum. For no apparent reason the other bulb collapsed and rotted, but four small stem bulbs survived. These bulbs were planted out and flowered in February, 1939. Thus L. 'Jillian Wallace' came into being and was named after Mr. Wallace's first grandchild who was born a few months earlier. In the years following, L. 'Jillian Wallace' proved to be of exceptional vigour, showing that a bad start does not necessarily mean a bad future. On 11th September, 1951, a stem of L. 'Jillian Wallace' was staged in London and received an award of merit from the Royal Horticultural Society."

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It was to this famous lily, in 1971, that world-renowned Tasmanian breeder, Joe Hoell, applied pollen from L. auratum var. platyphyllum and produced an auratum hybrid he named 'Valley Sundust'. The RHS description is as follows:

"Pinkish, with white tips and vivid reddish orange (32A) throat, outside pale yellow-green (157A); strong red (53B) spots in the throat; nectaries green; pollen vivid reddish orange (34A). Fls 160mm wide, slightly down-facing, slightly scented; petals 100 x 35mm, not ruffled, strongly recurved. Lvs alternate, 240 x 35mm, mid green. Stems 1.8m, green, streaked bronze, with 18-20 fls. January (Tasmania)."

I've never seen it myself and don't know if it is still grown anywhere, but would love to find it's still out there - if anyone knows!

Joe went further to use 'Valley Sundust' on L. henryi and produced an outstanding inter-divisional he named 'Tall Boy'. That makes 'Tall Boy' is 1/2 henryi, 1/8 speciosum and 3/8 auratum.

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Now, Joe shared 'Tall Boy' with other breeders, and the line continues into the future. (Though! I can think of several people that know the details far better than I, but it seems he also let a few siblings or similar lilies go out there when he didn't have enough of the genuine 'Tall Boy' - apparently he believed the shared genetics were the important thing so the rest of the family was as good as the star when it came to breeding! - and there may now be more than one "Tall Boy" in circulation.) Still, from Gilbert Errey to Roy Wallace to Joe Hoell, the genetics for 'Tall Boy' hold the dreams of pioneering Australian breeders and we're very fortunate to have this legacy to work with today.
Last edited by dellac Aug 2, 2016 3:30 AM Icon for preview
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Aug 1, 2016 2:14 PM CST
Name: Joe
Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Lilies Region: New York Seed Starter Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Level 1
I'm at work and I can't wait to get into your post when I get home. I did use pollen of Bellingham star (LF-1) this year and I tried a cross as pod as well. I got pollen on mine Lorn although it wasn't a ton.
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Aug 1, 2016 2:18 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Lorn (Roosterlorn)
S.E Wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Bee Lover Lilies Pollen collector Seed Starter Region: Wisconsin
Della, Tracey sent some Betty Sturley pollen that she wanted to try. I made 3 protected pollenations so we'll see what happens. I had heard that it is sterile as a pod parent but fertile as a pollen parent. Crossing Fingers!
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Aug 1, 2016 4:50 PM CST
Name: della
hobart, tasmania
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Photo Contest Winner: 2015
I woke up this morning and realised I truly stuffed up my fractions! Hilarious! Tall Boy is 1/2 henryi, 1/8 speciosum and only 3/8 auratum... of course.

Good luck, Joe and Lorn, with your 'Bellingham Star' crosses. Crossing Fingers!
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Aug 1, 2016 7:09 PM CST
Name: Dave
Southern wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Japanese Maples Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Pollen collector Peonies Lilies
Irises Hybridizer Hummingbirder Dog Lover Daylilies Clematis
Lorn, I tried to read the LF1 link (bellingham star) but it takes me to info about 'LeVern Frienann' 'Miss Feya' page. Unless I'm missing something

Edit. Nevermind, I did not read down far enough. I was thinking it was about LF 1 itself. Sorry
Last edited by Nhra_20 Aug 1, 2016 7:13 PM Icon for preview
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Aug 1, 2016 7:53 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Lorn (Roosterlorn)
S.E Wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Bee Lover Lilies Pollen collector Seed Starter Region: Wisconsin
You have to sort of read in between the lines to see how everything relates, including a hybrid called Rachel Pappo. Plus, you'll get a little introduction on lily stealing, something that still goes on today in Europe with research and development material.
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Aug 1, 2016 8:05 PM CST
Name: Dave
Southern wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Japanese Maples Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Pollen collector Peonies Lilies
Irises Hybridizer Hummingbirder Dog Lover Daylilies Clematis
It was a neat read. I read some of that on their new site for a different cultuvar. Kind of neat knowing a story behind a flower. Then when someone asks you about that flower and can include a back story. Love reading the history
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Aug 2, 2016 1:52 AM CST
central Illinois
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Photo Contest Winner: 2017
Good info, I'd read the B&D factoid but knew nothing of Australian lily breeders.
Nothing that's been done can ever be changed.
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Aug 2, 2016 5:16 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Lorn (Roosterlorn)
S.E Wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Bee Lover Lilies Pollen collector Seed Starter Region: Wisconsin
Della, I wonder, does that book include the work of New Zealand hybridizers also?
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Aug 2, 2016 6:14 PM CST
Name: Joe
Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Lilies Region: New York Seed Starter Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Level 1
Great stuff Della! I just put some papuiljo pollen on henryi var citrinum. Maybe a nice tallboy esque plant. So I checked my Bellingham star crosses for this year.

Elusive X Bellingham star
Bellingham star X ice caves (good version)
Betty Sturley X Bellingham star
Sarabande X Bellingham star
Anastasia X Bellingham Star
Henryi var citrinum X Bellingham star

We will see what happens.....
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Aug 2, 2016 7:03 PM CST
Name: della
hobart, tasmania
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Photo Contest Winner: 2015
Fantastic crosses, Joe! Have all my fingers and toes crossed for you. Green Grin! Haven't heard of papuiljo though, what is it?

Lorn, Liliums in Australia makes a few references here and there to New Zealand hybrids that were in Australia at the time, and to a "Mr. Tuffery" of New Zealand, but unless I've overlooked something this is the most it elaborates:

"In New Zealand, Tuffery has introduced L. rubellum and L. japonicum into the Parkman group. From mixed seed obtained from him a number of years ago, seedlings have flowered at Kalorama in the Dandenong ranges, Victoria, with a colour of a paler and different pink to that of the usual Parkmans; and these may possibly contain L. rubellum or L. japonicum. Mr Tuffery has now introduced L. sargentiae into the group, and seed of this cross has reached Australia."

Remembering this was published in 1967, I guess Tuffery and other 'early' southern hemisphere breeders were working on interdivisionals around the same time as Leslie Woodriff in the US... I wonder what became of these and many of the other southern pioneering crosses?
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Aug 2, 2016 7:12 PM CST
Name: Joe
Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Lilies Region: New York Seed Starter Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Level 1
Here you go Della!
Spelt it wrong

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Aug 2, 2016 8:57 PM CST
Name: della
hobart, tasmania
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Photo Contest Winner: 2015
Aha - beautiful! That could produce a lovely outcome indeed. Crossing Fingers!
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Aug 3, 2016 11:43 AM CST
Name: Joe
Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Lilies Region: New York Seed Starter Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Level 1
Add Crystal Blanca X Bellingham star!
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Oct 9, 2020 10:30 PM CST
Name: aka Annie
WA-rural 8a to (Zone 7b)
Wow such a fun read!!! I grew up around Portland, Oregon and never knew any of this. We did have a neighbor that had a ton of dahlias that she had all in grids with numbers and must have been hybridizing them. She had worked in the strawberry industry at one time and maybe started the hybridizing thing from that. (I was very young and it never really interested me at the time, so I did not ask questions.)
I guess I never even thought about hybridizing or all of that until I started looking for shorter dahlias. I also came here looking for shorter lilies.

For some reason things on my farm grow terribly tall without fertilizer and I am just hoping bred shorter will help me. (It was a hazelnut farm destroyed by the blight in the 1980's and sold off for residential)

Any knowledge how the short Sugar Baby Carpet Border Lily was bred? Just curious.

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