Hemerocallis Lilies

There is a spot in our yard, perhaps 30 ft² (3 m²), that was tilled and planted with lilies by my father for my mother's enjoyment. I never thought to ask my father while he was still living where these lilies originated. I know, however, that they are easy to propagate by digging them up, dividing the bulbs, and then replanting them. My parents might have obtained their bulbs in this manner, from friends or family. For anyone without such a source, though, the bulbs are not expensive to purchase, as I have seen them for sale in many garden centers.

Each year, several different colors bloom in our yard, one after the other. Currently, the lilies that are blooming are variegated yellow-with-lavendar and yellow-with-mauve.

^{• PHOTO BY ME •}

The lilies are members of the genus Hemerocallis. Each flower features three petals and three tepals, plus long stamens which consist of a thin filament capped by an anther which is covered with yellow pollen. There is also a single, long pistil which connects to the ovary of the flower. The following photo shows a closeup of the anthers, coated in pollen:

^{• PHOTO BY ME •}

And here is a photo with all the parts labeled:

^{• PHOTO/DIAGRAM BY ME •}

This genus of lily has been highly hybridized by growers to produce an amazing array of color combinations. Wikipedia reports that: "There are over 80,000 registered cultivars." I do not know the names of the cultivars we have, but there are maybe five different ones in our collection.

^{• PHOTOS BY ME •}

I found one website^[1] that seems to picture and describe one of them:

"Denivka Lavender Lily je na světě již od roku 1962 a stále patří k velmi oblíbeným. Na rozdíl od většiny hybridních odrůd se širokými, tuhými listy se Lavender Lily zdobí jemnými, téměř až trávovými listy měkce zelené barvy. V červenci vykvétají poměrně velké, doširoka rozevřené květy světle růžově purpurové barvy s levandulovým nádechem a žlutým hrdlem. Objevují se na tenkých stoncích, které převyšují listy jen o něco málo, takže budí dojem květů v trávě."

"Lavender Lily has been in the world since 1962 and is still one of the most popular. Unlike most hybrid varieties with broad, rigid leaves, Lavender Lily is decorated with soft, almost grassy leaves of soft green color. In July, flowers of a light pink purple color with a lavender touch and a yellow-throat blossom. They appear on thin stalks, which exceed the leaves only a little, so it gives the impression of flowers in the grass."

^{• PHOTOS BY ME •}