I am often asked what the letters LA-, LO-, OT-hybrids and others mean on packages with lily bulbs. I answer. All lilies are divided into groups, each has some characteristics and properties.
Relatively speaking, the following are considered to be the main groups of lilies.
Asian hybrids - low lilies, no scent. But the most winter-hardy, reproduce very well, form many buds on one stem.
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Oriental hybrids (Oriental) - medium-sized lilies, fragrant, with large flowers. However, they are not hardy.
Longiflorums - long-flowered, fragrant, medium-sized lilies.
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Tubular - lilies are fragrant, medium-sized, with an interesting flower shape.
When they were crossed, hybrids were obtained, named after the first two letters of the parent hybrids taken for crossing. These hybrids already have their own properties.
LA hybrids (Longiflorums X Asian) - very tall, with large flowers, very winter-hardy, but almost no smell. They reproduce well.
LO hybrids (Longiflorums x Oriental) - long-flowered, fragrant lilies. Mostly high. They reproduce worse.
OT hybrids (Oriental x Tubular) is now the most popular group of lilies. They have huge, fragrant flowers. Plants are very tall - up to 2 m. Fairly hardy. They reproduce poorly.
OA hybrids - a new and promising group of lilies (Oriental x Asiatic). Plants are viable, bloom early, multiply easily.
Attention! Scam!
Recently, the markets often offer the bulbs of the miracle lilies - blue, cascading, liana-like. This is a lie!!! There are no such plants.
Often on the packaging they write "Tree lilies" - this is a publicity stunt. This is the name of OT-hybrids of lilies, which are not related to trees. It's just that the varieties from this series are really tall, with large flowers. For example, in the photo there is a Flashpoint OT hybrid.
Read also:
Lily: one flower is already a bouquet
- If asked to share lilies
Photo by the author Special issue of the newspaper "My favorite flowers" "Summer colors: peonies, irises, lilies, daylilies", Nizhny Novgorod
