Lilies are the world's most popular cut flowers, beating roses into second place. Tomorrow, the Otago Lily Society is auctioning dozens of bulbs, including some rare and unusual species. Gillian Vine reports.
When Dunedin woman Robin Casey found a striking scarlet lily in her garden, she thought its delicate, curving petals would make it suitable for her first foray into showing lilies.
Not only did it excite the judges, winning Mrs Casey top honours at the show, but the interest in her rare Lilium chalcedonicum was overwhelming.
She has now divided the plant and given a bulb to the Otago Lily Society for its auction tomorrow.
Another rare lily is Lilium pyrenaicum, sometimes called the yellow Turk's cap.
Otago Lily Society president John Hill is delighted the society has been able to obtain some bulbs to sell, as well as Lilium martagon, a shade-loving lily whose only drawback is a smell that is less than pleasant.
Also on the block will be some Madonna lilies (Lilium candidum). The true Christmas lily, it grows well in Central Otago as it does best in a sunny, dry spot with only a third to half of the bulb under the ground.
The Madonna is also one of the few lilies to tolerate lime.
It is difficult to obtain commercially, Mr Hill says, probably because its preferred growing conditions are vastly different from the likes of Oriental and Asiatic lilies.
With 87 different species and thousands of cultivars, the Otago Lily Society's sale will have only a fraction of what is available, but lily fanciers will still have plenty of choice with colours from pure white through yellow to orange and brick red, palest pink to deepest maroon.
Some are short, others may reach 3m; blooms can be speckled, pure in colour, richly scented and some lacking perfume altogether.
If the gloriously perfumed Oriental, Regale or Madonna lilies set you sneezing, concentrate on the unscented lilies, loosely defined as Asiatics.
They also have the advantage of the best colour range.
• BE THERE
The Otago Lily Society's bulb auction is tomorrow at Forbury Park Raceway. The venue is open from 1pm for viewing and the sale starts at 1.30pm. Timaru auctioneer and lily lover Russell Bailey will be running the auction.
