Detail of flower

Lilium regale is a trumpet flowered lily, native to western Szechuan in China. It was introduced to England in 1903 by Ernest Henry Wilson.

The plant is stem-rooting. Leaves are borne at irregular intervals on the stem. Plants grow up to 2 meters high, though 1.2 to 1.5 meters is more common in the garden. The flowers are 14 cm long, funnel or trumpet shaped, large, white with a yellow throat inside, flushed purple outside. They are strongly fragrant, especially at night.

This species is relatively easy to grow in most temperate climate gardens. It is very popular for its fine display of long glistening flowers and for their heady, memorable perfume. It tolerates most soils, although the height of their stems and the number of flowers depends on the amount of humus and fertility in the ground.

The bulbs themselves are very hardy, but the shoots appear early in the season and may be damaged by frost unless sheltered. Plants can be raised from seed very quickly, and often flower in their second year. They may require staking.

The RHS has given it its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

References

The European Garden Flora (1986).

• Efloras.org, Flora of China: Lilium
• RHSlilygroup.org
• Theflowerbulb.com, info about care for lilies

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