25 LILIUM Lilies are among the most wellknown summer flowers, whether as cut or potted flowers or as bulbous plants in perennial beds or borders. They are found in Asia, Europe and North America. There are about 100 species and the assortment is huge. Today's common lily varieties are targeted crosses and leave almost no consumer wishes unfulfilled. The perennial organ is a bulb and consists of tile-like scales without skin. The bulb renews itself every year. Some species form new bulbs on fleshy rhizomes (migratory bulbs). In nature, contractile roots (anchoring roots) pull the bulb to the optimum depth in perennial sites. Some species, e.g. L. tigrinum, L. bulbiferum, etc., form so-called bulbils in the leaf axils. Many species are stem rooters and also form roots above the bulb on the shoots of the stem, which are mainly used for nutrition. The flowers can be trumpet-, cupped-, funnel- or turban-shaped; sometimes intensely fragrant or odourless, sometimes single flowering or double flowering. The location may be in full sun to semi-shade, but it should be well drained, as waterlogging is not tolerated.
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