Considering how many genera and species of plants and flowers are present in our world, things can sometimes get quite confusing. As such, people wonder: what are Liliaceae plants?
Liliaceae is the umbrella term for approximately 50 genera and 600 species belonging to the order Liliales. They’re a mix of perennial, herbaceous, monocotyledonous, and bulbous flowering plants.
Quick Summary
Liliaceae is a family that houses hundreds of species, one of which is lilies. Said plant has different shapes, sizes, and colors.
Since their first appearance, lilies have become a staple in decorations like jewelry and paintings. On top of that, they’ve become popular with florists and gardeners alike because of their fragrance and beauty.
What Are True Lilies?
True Lilies are part of the genus Lilium. They grow from fleshy bulbs whose scales often overlap with each other.
The stalk of true lilies grows at the center of the bulb. Plus, their roots emerge from a disk that you’ll often find at the bottom of the flower.
What Are Other Names?
Aside from true lilies, there are other names used for the different genera of Liliacea plants.
Blue bead lilies are flowering plants belonging to the genus Clintonia. They sport basal and cauline leaves. In addition, they produce berry-like fruits that often have a metallic blue to black tint.
On the other hand, there are globe lilies that belong to the Caochortus genus. They’re also flowering plants that have two series of tepals. The outer part is narrow and similar to a sepal, while the inner portion resembles petals.
Lastly, there are toad lilies, which are from the genus Tricytris. They’re herbaceous perennials whose stems are typically erect. Moreover, they have six tepals arranged into two layers: the outer part carries nectar-secreting pouches, while the inner has dorsal crests.
Where Are Lilies From?
According to a 2006 study, lilies are dominant in the Northern Hemisphere. Most species come from countries located in North America, Asia, and Europe.
However, production of the said plant has begun in the Southern Hemisphere. As such, you can find them in countries like Chile, Australia, and South Africa.
With that said, lilies have already spread throughout the entire world. Countries producing the plant have already cultivated their own varieties, meaning they’re constantly evolving.
Liliaceae Family Description and Characteristics
You should know the physical description and characteristics to understand lilies and the Liliaceae family further.
What Is the Physical Description of Lilies?
True lilies have six tepal flowers that vary in shape. They can be funnel, bell, bowl, trumpet, or flat. In some plants, they’re entirely erect, while others are nodding.
The flowers they produce come in many colors except blue. It’s because the plants don’t naturally have the necessary pigment necessary to create the shade.
What Are the Characteristics of Liliaceae?
The Liliaceae family are herbaceous perennial plants. It means that after they produce fruits and flowers, every part of their body dies except their roots.
It often happens during winter, as this is the time when they enter a dormancy period. However, they’ll burst back into life when spring comes.
When it comes to their roots, they’re typically fibrous. Their stems, on the other hand, are either underground or aerial. The former comes as a bulb, corm, or rhizome, while the latter is often a phylloclade.
Their leaves can be exstipulate, petiolate, or sessile. They vary in size and shape, depending on the species and genus. Moreover, they often have parallel venation.
Lastly, their flowers are trimerous and hypogynous. Trimerous means that they only have three petals. Hypogynous refers to the attachment of their stamens and perianth below the carpel, the plant’s female reproductive organ.
Popular Lilies
Below are some of the popular lilies that people like to grow in their gardens:
- Easter Lily
An Eastern lily is one of the most well-known variants of the plant. It has a white, elongated, trumpet-shaped flower that blooms during Summer.
- Stargazer
Stargazer lilies sport upward-facing flowers that have pink and white coloration. Their color combination highly resembles a red dragonfruit.
- Tiger Lily
Tiger lilies have bell-shaped orange flowers with brown specks. This variety is popular due to its hardiness because it can survive extreme temperatures.
- Elodie
Elodie lilies are unique because of their pink pastel color. They have semi-double blooms accompanied by raspberry-colored freckles.
- Turk’s Cap
Turk’s cap, more popularly known as Martagon lilies, exhibits tall spikes with loads of small pagoda-shaped flowers. The petals are usually orange with dark specks.
History
Understanding the interesting history of lilies will also enlighten you as to why this plant is extremely popular.
What Is the History and Uses of Lilies?
Lilies, specifically Madona lilies, made their first appearance several millennia ago. Loads of people from Crete, Greece, and Mesopotamia incorporated the plant into their jewelry and other decorations.
Moreover, Ancient Egyptians gave the plant to the deceased as an offering. On the other hand, the Romans and Greeks treasured it too.
It’s because, according to their beliefs, Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, became extremely jealous of the lily due to its beauty. As such, she decided to put elongated pistils at the center of the plant, making it less attractive.
What Are Lilies Cultivated For?
People cultivated lilies as a medicinal ointment. On top of that, the ancients grew bulbs as they were also one of their food sources.
Additionally, they became a popular decoration during 1675-1750 B.C. People often presented this flower through Cretan vases and paintings, which exhibited their beauty, color, and fragrance.
What Do People Associate Lilies To?
Considering that there’s a plethora of species and varieties in the Liliaeceae family, their meanings and symbolism vary.
However, people commonly associate lilies with purity and rebirth. It’s mainly because said flowers are always present in religious iconography. They often represent the Virgin Mary and even the Ressurection of Christ.
What Are the Common Types of Lilies?
The Royal Horticultural Society has classified common types of lilies into several divisions based on their habit and flower type:
- Asiatic Hybrids
These flowers are cold-hardy, meaning they can withstand lower temperatures. Regarding their size, they range from small to medium.
When it comes to their shape, they typically form a bowl. Their colors are uniform, but there can be conspicuous brushmarks. They also don’t have any scents.
- Martagon Hybrids
This division produces down-facing flowers with thick recurved petals. These flowers vary in color, but the most common are pink, lavender, yellow, light orange, and dark red.
Plus, they have speckles and freckles.
- Euro-Caucasian Hybrids
Also known as Candidum hybrids, these are pale-colored medium-sized flowers that have a bell shape. They often have a sweet fragrance.
Additionally, their colors can be orange, yellow, pink, or mauve. Their underside usually features a darker shade.
A few examples of these hybrids are June Fragrance and Nankeen. Both flowers feature a strong yet sweet scene, and they can grow up to four feet tall.
- American Hybrids
American hybrids are medium-sized down-facing pendent flowers whose colors range from yellow to orange. From the name itself, these are native to America.
Popular American hybrids are Lilium Bellingham, which is a spiky plant with whorled leaves, and Lily ‘Cherrywood,’ which sports a red flower whose foliage whorls.
- Longiflorum Hybrids
Longiflorum hybrids have flowers whose size ranges from medium to large, and their colors are mainly white. In addition, brushmarks aren’t present.
This is one of the most popular flowers for florists and green thumbs because they resemble a Magnolia tree.
- Trumpet and Aurelian Hybrids
This division features trumpet-shaped flowers with a cream, white, yellow, or pink tint. They typically have a contrasting band of colors on the outside.
- Oriental Hybrids
These are the result of interbreeding between Lilium speciosum and Lilium auratum.
Oriental hybrids are bowl-shaped flowers with recurved tepals. The inner part is broad, with its margins overlapping at the base, giving off a “closed” look. They’re usually white or pink to purplish red.
- Species and Cultivars of Species
The last division consists of all species and their subspecies, forms, varieties, and cultivars. Simply put, these wild lilies are “parents” of the other classes.
As such, this division is vital because other hybrids wouldn’t exist without them.
Flowering
Lilies bloom once during early summer until fall. As mentioned earlier, they’re perennial plants, meaning they need a dormancy period to recuperate before initiating a new flowering cycle.
Whenever they bloom, it lasts up to three weeks. However, the longevity and the number of flowers they produce depend on the species and if you’ve used fertilizers.
Toxicity
According to the FDA, lilies are highly toxic to cats. Even though the toxin remains undiscovered, many people had reported that their pets experienced kidney failure and other health issues. It occurred when the cats ate a part of the plant or drank water from the vase.
Moreover, they’ve stated that the true lily and daylily families are one of the most toxic for cats. Eating or licking a part of the flower can cause symptoms such as drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, and lethargy.
In addition, lilies can be toxic to dogs too. Calla and peace lilies have insoluble crystals that instantly irritate their mouth, throat, and esophagus when consumed.
If you have any pets in your home, try to avoid putting lilies indoors. It’s a preventive measure to ensure your furry friends won’t experience any health issues.
Before You Go: Final Tips to Help Grow Lilies
If you’ve become interested in growing lilies, make sure to note these tips so your plants will grow healthy:
- Choose What Type Best Suits You
Liliaceae plants come in various colors, heights, and flower styles. Moreover, some are cold-hardy, while some are sensitive to the weather.
So, you have to ensure that the lily you’ll start growing will suit your preference and your location.
- Plant the Bulbs Carefully
True lilies come in true bulbs that don’t come with a protective covering. That said, you should plant them as soon as possible to prevent them from drying out.
In addition, they’re incredibly delicate, so you should handle them carefully when planting to avoid breaking the scales.
- Maintain Good Soil
Like any other plant, lilies need excellent soil for them to be able to grow correctly. As such, the medium shouldn’t be too moist, as it’ll promote root rot.
On the other hand, it shouldn’t be too dry either because your plant can wither.
- Provide Enough Room
When lilies grow, they don’t want to become crowded. It’s because they only produce a few leaves, and all of them need to become exposed to sunlight.
With that said, when you’re going to plant lilies, ensure that you’re giving them enough room. If you think that they’re too close to each other, to the extent that some leaves are starting to overlap, immediately transfer them.
- Plant Bulbs in Groups
If you want to make your lilies look visually appealing, you should plant them in groups of three or five.
However, ensure that you’re spacing them, preferably 10 inches apart from one another, depending on the variety.
FAQs
What is an Oriental Lily?
Oriental lilies come from the interbreeding of species, like Lilium auratum and Lilium japonicum. These kinds of plants are popular for their fragrance and rich colors.
How to care for Lilies?
Aside from watering regularly, you should keep the soil moist in winter. Despite the plants undergoing dormancy, their roots can still dry out.
Additionally, you should apply fertilizer and compost for the lilies to become healthy.
Can Lilies rebloom?
Most lilies only bloom once. However, there are now loads of re-blooming varieties, such as the Hemerocallis ‘Advanced Party’ Daylily, which can bloom during late summer.
What to do when Lilies have finished flowering?
You can either deadhead, prune, or cut your lilies after they have finished flowering. Doing these won’t only remove dead stems and foliage, but they also give the plants room for new growth.
How do Lilies look?
Lilies vary in physical appearance depending on their species. However, they commonly have six plain trumpet or bell-shaped tepals. They also have erect stems with narrow leaves.
What do Oriental Lilies symbolize?
The flower symbolizes innocence, purity, and fertility.
How long do Lilies live for?
Lilies have a lifespan of two years if properly cared for. If you keep them in a vase, they’ll last for two weeks.
What soil should I use?
For lilies, you should use soil rich in organic matter, such as manure, sawdust, and lawn clippings. On top of that, it should have a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5.
Can I use fertilizer?
Definitely! You can use organic fish fertilizer or granular fertilizer for lilies. Just make sure to avoid plant foods high in nitrogen to prevent insect infestation and diseases.
How much sun do Lilies need?
Lilies thrive in full sun. As such, sunlight exposure for more than six hours is vital.