Tree lily

Tree lily: plant description

Tree lily: photo

The tree lily is one of the most controversial plants that raises a lot of questions. Some gardeners admire this plant and say that it has its own strength and aesthetics. There are flower growers who sharply speak out against the tree lily, emphasizing that, in fact, there is no such culture in nature at all, and such lilies are just one of the varieties that we are used to seeing on our backyard plots. Even though different growers have different points of view, tree lilies can still be found in various gardening stores today.

Very beautiful flowers can be grown from seedlings, but it is still worth asking whether this is an ordinary tree with flowers in the form of a lily, or is it a real tree lily, which today is becoming more common and popular in modern floriculture. Of course, in this article we will talk in more detail about the main types and varieties of tree lilies, about the features of care. Let us also touch upon the questions of how resistant the tree lily is to external unfavorable factors - diseases and attacks from pests and insects.

Experienced gardeners, who have been growing daylilies for several years, are convinced that this type of lily simply does not exist in nature. Nevertheless, experiments, numerous images confirm the fact that there is a tree lily in nature, and it is one of the varieties of other lily varieties, of which there are more than a hundred in nature today. The tree lily differs in that it has very tall and dense shoots, as well as large inflorescences that are located on them. Sometimes the shoots, due to their density, may resemble tree branches, but nevertheless, the tree lily is still a flower, you should not confuse or substitute concepts.

The tree lily variety was bred by Canadian breeders who sought to ensure that the lily quickly adapts to an unstable climate, and is also very hardy and strong. As a result, a tree-like plant appeared that was far from compact, which was also called a giant. Due to the fact that the tree lily is a tall plant, has an excellent aroma, as well as unique inflorescences, it is so fond of flower growers in different parts of the world. Due to its qualities of colors, it quickly adapts in various conditions, it can withstand some unfavorable factors from the outside, and this is also a huge plus.

The tree is not a pure species, but the result of the experiments of breeders, the fact that they repeatedly crossed many varieties with each other. The result is very strong, almost gigantic plants, which differ not only in that their growth can reach 2.5 meters, but also in that the flowers on them are incredibly large. In addition, the inflorescences give the most diverse palette of colors and shades, but the tree lily blooms with a frequency of once every five years, and this is already a big minus that can confuse some flower growers, even those who love such rare and exotic plants.

If we want to describe the plant, we must pay attention to the most striking characteristics, thanks to which the tree lily differs from all other varieties and varieties of the tree lily:

• this perennial has very strong but hollow stems
• the leaves have a pleasant shape in the form of a heart, which alternately decorate the very long petioles of a lily
• flowers can have a variety of intricate shapes, inflorescences are located on very powerful legs, and their average diameter can reach thirty centimeters.

As a rule, mention should be made of the period of active flowering of this plant, and in the tree lily, it begins in mid-July, and stops somewhere in mid-August, that is, within one month. In the next part of this article, we will dwell in more detail on what are the characteristic features of the species and varieties of tree lilies that exist today in modern floriculture, what are their advantages, and what are the disadvantages over classical lily cultures.

Characteristics of the main species and varieties of tree lily

Tree lily: photo

The tree lily is a unique plant. One of its most popular varieties is Cardiocrinum, which is even better known as the heart-shaped lily. This plant grows from bulbs, the diameter of the hollow stems reaches five centimeters. The leaves just resemble the shape of the heart, hence the name of the variety. The inflorescences also differ in that they have a pale green and whitish color and a tubular, very unusual structure.

This variety is called giant, and the lily prefers to grow mainly in the mountains. In height, it can usually reach three meters, and flowering in abundant form begins in mid-August, that is, in general, a flower of an average flowering rate. Inflorescences include very large flowers, which are usually arranged in an alternating, checkerboard pattern on one bush, and their number varies from 18 to 20 pieces.

One of the popular tree varieties of lilies is a hybrid called Honeymoon. This variety can be characterized as follows:

• winter hardiness of the plant is ideal, very high. Lily can withstand frosts when the temperature drops to minus thirty degrees, which is a very commendable indicator.
• the height of an adult plant can be from 180 to 200 centimeters
• the buds are very large, have an excellent moon-honey color, which is what the name of this variety is dedicated to - Honeymoon. Flowers also give off a rich aroma, but it is best not to grow them near those people who suffer from allergic reactions, especially to the aromas of flowers and pollen.

When a gardener is planting tree varieties of lilies, there are a few things to consider. One of these aspects is that all these varieties are very tall and can bloom for a very long time. Inflorescences can be of a wide variety of colors and shades, so every gardener will find what he likes, and he will definitely choose from the whole set those lilies that he can fully care for.

There is another very common tree lily variety called Pretty Wumen. The difference between this variety is that the flowers have a very soft, creamy snow-white shade. The variety was obtained by crossing an oriental lily and a pipe lily called Ridgel. The inflorescence includes about thirty small flowers, which exude a very pleasant aroma, unobtrusive, but very persistent. Again, growing lily varieties is rarely suitable for people who may suffer from acute allergic reactions, and even doctors warn about this.

The flowering of the tree lily variety Pretty Wumen begins around the second half of the summer season, the stem of the flower is very strong, its height can be more than two meters under suitable conditions. If the grower can create favorable conditions for the tree lily of this variety, then within about three years the plant will be able to stretch up to 270 centimeters.Also, another difference of the variety is that it is very resistant to external unfavorable factors, to diseases that can infect lilies, and also have a high degree of winter hardiness, which, of course, is a huge plus for a daylily of this type.

In this part of the article, we have stopped at several popular varieties of tree lilies. In the next part, we will dwell in more detail on how to properly plant and care for a plant. It depends on the care of the plantings, as well as on the attitude of the grower himself to the lilies, what kind of inflorescences they will give him, and how long they will be able to please with magnificent large flowers.

Planting and caring for a tree lily

Tree lily: video about the variety

Growing a tree lily in the open field, as well as caring for it, has some specific features. As an example, we will take a variety of tree lilies called Purple Prince and compose more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to properly plant and care for a lily in order to get decent inflorescences.

As a rule, for planting lilies it is best to choose slightly acidic soils, which also contain a large amount of minerals. But, at the same time, there should not be an excess of organic matter in the soil, since fresh it is not always useful for daylilies, it can lead to rotting of the root system and, accordingly, to damage to the plant. Also, the culture is best planted as far as possible from groundwater, and it is optimal to plant daylilies in flower beds on elevations, where moisture will not stagnate, which is not always useful for the plant. Drainage can be done independently, using sand and gravel for this, and it should be placed first before planting.

Water lilies of tree lilies must be planted either in the first half of autumn, or postponed planting in the spring. A certain amount of sand is poured into the pit, but the planting depth should be no more than 20 centimeters from the root to the top layer of the soil. After the lily has been planted, the soil should be mulched, and it is necessary to care for the plant, taking into account several significant points:

• water the plant regularly
• feed with fertilizers, mainly potash
• prepare plants for winter, because lilies still love warmth, even despite their resistance to temperature extremes and frost, and this is especially true for the tree lily.

Tree lilies can also be propagated with seeds, bulbs, and babies. The method of propagation by cuttings is no less popular, again, each gardener chooses for himself which method suits him best, and it also depends on the experience of the grower who decided to plant daylilies. Also, a lot depends on the variety of lilies: for example, Pretty Wumen propagates with bulbs, although this method takes a fair amount of time and can even take a lot of efforts of the gardener himself. Bulbs differ from other sowing materials in that they are very sensitive to excessive waterlogging of the soil, therefore, if they are not provided with favorable conditions, they will simply rot with the onset of autumn and the arrival of abundant rainfall.

The babies of the tree lily are collected by a florist after several years. By this time, the culture grows sufficiently, begins to bloom, gains strength, which just helps the plant to reproduce in this way. The most adult lilies can organize whole nests, consisting of children.

If we are talking about the seed method of reproduction of the tree lily, then here the gardener collects the seeds, which are located at the very top of the stems, in a special box.Again, the seed method is not suitable for propagation of all varieties, so you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the lily, as well as with the agrotechnical conditions in which the gardener will work, and evaluate whether this method of plant propagation is suitable for him or not.

Tree lily: plant diseases and pests

Of course, like any other plants, tree lilies also face disease and attacks from both pests and insects. The stems and leaves are very juicy, so insects are not averse to feasting on them, thereby causing tremendous damage to the plant. These negative phenomena can subsequently lead to the fact that the condition of the flower will noticeably deteriorate and, as a result, the plant may die altogether if you do not provide it with timely help and favorable conditions for treatment.

We list several fungal diseases that are most often found in tree lilies. These are gray rot, fusarium, anthracnose and blue mold. In general, these diseases are very actively spread among common varieties of lilies, therefore, usually preventive measures and techniques for getting rid of plants from such diseases can also be the same.

The most dangerous of all diseases is gray rot. It mainly begins to affect first the lower leaves of the flower, and then goes on to the bud, simultaneously destroying the stems. Determining the disease as a whole is not difficult: characteristic brown spots appear on the stems and leaves, which gradually increase in size and affect the entire plant. Over time, the spots become covered with brown mucous tissue, gray bloom. If you do not take up the treatment in time, then the rot will reach the root system, and the plant will no longer be saved. If this happens, it is best to dig up the flower and burn it, and disinfect the soil where it grew, so that subsequent plantings do not suffer from the same negative phenomenon.

Of course, as with any other disease, gray rot is also quite problematic and difficult to fight. It is best to use several preventive measures in order to prevent its occurrence and development in principle. For this, the bulbs before planting are treated with disinfectants - disinfectants or Fundazol. Also, the bulbs can be sprayed with these products, then you can prevent not only gray rot, but also many other dangerous fungal diseases.

The spider mite is the most dangerous pest that can infect tree lilies. To combat it, experienced gardeners recommend using soapy water or acaricides, which are very effective at killing ticks. Karbofos will help get rid of the lily fly, which settles in an unpainted bud and can feed on stamens and anthers, depriving the plant of vitality and energy.

A lily tree in its normal state is a lush and tall plant that has pronounced spectacular decorative properties. A lot depends on the gardener, on how he cares for the tree lily variety, whether he can provide him with all the favorable conditions for life, development and reproduction. Of course, using additional preventive measures increases the chance that the tree lily will bloom and grow even more abundantly.