Lilium washingtonianum |
Native Region: Western North America; Cascade mountains.
Zone Range: 7-9
Preferred Climate: Semi to full sun; well draining humus rich soil.
Harvest Date: Saturday 13 October, 2007
Seed count: 30-40
Description:
A lovely fragrant native lily with trumpet shaped flowers with strap-like petals that gently reflex. Young blooms begin life an ivory white (dark purple speckles within) then age to a pink to purple....very much like its other native liliacea kin, the western trillium (Trillium ovatum). Because the flowers open in succession over the blooming season, so you will see white to pink flowers at the same time. Plants grow to 1-2 meters in height with a 60 cm spread. Grey green somewhat broadish leaves are spaced in dense whorls along the lower 2/3 of the stem. Co-evolved with our wacky climate and soils so it will withstand summer drought when established.
Notes:
I don't recommend using fertilizer on this lily as our soils are naturally low in nitrogen and potassium. If you must fertilize because it is in a companion planting, do so when the flower buds are forming. Doing it later in the season could lead to wimpy plants/bulbs that might succumb to winter kill.
Cultivation:
This is the first year growing this species from seed. If like its other North American lilium kin, germination is hypogeal...meaning the seed will put down a small bulb down first with the first leaf showing some time later possibly in a few months or next spring. To start, soak seed 24 hours and sow 6 mm deep. Give 20C warm stratification for the first 3 months then cold stratify at 4C for another 3 months. Seed should put down a root/bulblet. They've also germinated in the fridge within 2 months of their cold stratification cycle without previous warm stratification.
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