Lilies

A collection of Lithuanian cultivars of lilies and the most valuable Lithuanian hybrids, reflecting the history of breeding in Lithuania and the diversity of ornamental traits represented by lily specimens.

Lilies are perennial, herbaceous, bulbous plants in the Liliaceae family, whose bulbs overwinter in the soil after the above-ground part of the plant dies back in autumn. Widespread in temperate and sub-temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. Most of the species are native in East Asia (south-west and central China). Lilies are typical mesophytes (plants adapted to moderate soil moisture). Lilies have been cultivated worldwide for more than 3000 years. Today, lily varieties number in the tens of thousands. In Lithuania, the pioneers of lily breeding were P. Balčikonis and S. Eicher-Lorka. In 1992, the VU botanical garden in Kairėnai started collecting and cultivating lily cultivars and hybrids developed by Lithuanian breeders. In recent years, the collection has been enriched with new lily cultivars, hybrids and species developed abroad and in Lithuania. Lilies developed by Lithuanian breeders P. Balčikonis, J. Proscevičius, J. A. Liutkevičius, K. Nedzveckas, E. Dambrauskas, N. Eicher-Lorka , V. Eicher-Lorka, J. E. Tarvidas, V. Vyšniauskienė are grown.

The aim of the collection is to assemble a collection of a variety of lilies suitable for cultivation in Lithuanian climate conditions, and the objective is to collect not only Lithuanian cultivars and the most valuable Lithuanian hybrids, reflecting the history of breeding in Lithuania, but also foreign specimens, representing a variety of ornamental traits.

The international classification of lilies is divided into 9 divisions. Four divisions dominate the collection (Asiatic hybrids - Division I, Martagon Hybrids - Division II, Trumpet and Aurelian hybrids - Division VI, and Other hybrids - Division VIII). These four divisions have been selected for collection because they include the lilies that grow best in the Lithuanian climate. The lilies differ from each other in flower shape, color, spatial orientation in the inflorescence, inflorescence type, number of blooms in the inflorescence, plant height, blooming time, bulb size and color, leaf arrangement on the inflorescence, its width, length, shape, and also petal spots, stripes, stiffness of the inflorescence, color, hairs, color of the anthers, and so on.

		*Lily (Lilium) 'Islandija Pirmoji'* Plant height 70cm. Leaves are lanceolate, dark green, medium wide, in a spreading manner. The flowers are broadly open, flattened. The tepals are lemon-yellow, stiff, firm, the inner side of the tepals is richly dotted with a distinct edge in the middle. Nectar green in color, with a few sparse ridges on the edges. Pollen is brown. Inflorescence is a raceme of 7-14 flowers. The stem is stout, straight, glabrous, dark purple. Flowering in the first half of July. The cultivar is particularly resistant to rot. Originator J. A. Liutkevičius, 1997, I Division (AH- Asiatic hybrids). The author 'christened' it with a name related to the history of restoration of Lithuania (the first country to recognize Lithuania was Iceland).
		*Lily (Lilium) 'Olimpija'* Plant height - 80cm. The flowers are large, cup-shaped, broadly open, deep lilac-red, with satiny, shiny inner tepals. The anthers of the stamens are dark, hard to open, the stamens are pale, the pollen dark yellow. The inflorescence is a raceme of 6-8 flowers. The pedicels are attached to the axis of the inflorescence in a semi-horizontal position, pointing slightly upwards. The leaves are lanceolate and arranged in a lanceolate pattern on the inflorescence. Time of flowering medium ( second half of July). The bulbs are white with faint traces of anthocyanin. Originator Juozas Proscevičius, 2008, Gr. VIII (TA). Parentage: (white tubular seedling of Division VI x 'Prince Charming').
		*Lily (Lilium) 'Regina Stančiūtė–Kuzmienė'* Very tall, up to 2m high. The flower is large, flat, the tepals have a firm waxy structure, ivory white on the outside and bright apricot on the inside, covering 2/3 of the length of the tepal from the center, with a contrasting ivory border to the edges of the tepal. Nectaries enclosed by sparse papillae. The flowers are downward-sloping. The inflorescence is a compound raceme of 10-15 flowers, with a second row of flowers. Blooms in the second half of July. The bulb is large, yellow-purple. Originator Juozas Proscevičius, 2007, Division VIII (Other hybrids). Parentage: 'Agita' x L. monadelphum (TC – Trumpet x Candidum).
		*Lily (Lilium) 'Sunny Morning'* Plant height 170cm. Fleshy, stiff, turban-shaped flowers, tepals fleshy, yellow-orange, covered with confluent burgundy spots, richly dotted, pollen yellow-brown. Inflorescence is racemose, in a raceme of 20-25 flowers, with the pedicels attached horizontally to the axis of the inflorescence and the flowers inclined downwards. The type of leaf arrangement on the stem is whorled. The shape of the petiole is lanceolate. Blooms in the second half of June. The bulb is yellow. Registered in 2010 by the Dutch firm Lily Company B.V. under the name 'Nicotine'. Division II.
		*Leopard lily (Lilium pardalinum* Kellogg, 1859 m.), Division IX** Plant height 60-150cm. Leaves on the stem are whorled, with single lanceolate leaves scattered above and below. The flowers are turban-shaped, downward-sloping, on long pedicels. Half of the perianth (apex) is deep red and the other half (from the throat) is yellow-orange with large maroon spots edged with deep yellow. Tepals are 50-90 x 12-18mm. Nectarine green, stamens anthers brown, filament pale, pollen orange. Inflorescence is a raceme of 6-10 flowers. Stem green, glabrous. Blooms in the second half of June. The bulb is rhizomatous. Widespread in the USA (southern Oregon, northern California).