What are lilies?
True lilies from the genus Lilium are perennials that grow from bulbs made up of fleshy segments called scales. Wild lilies (species) are found in North America, Europe, and Asia. Many lily hybrids derive from the Asiatic species and are appropriately called asiatic hybrids. These are markets as true clones – from naturally occuring multiplication of the bulbs, from a process called scaling or for high demand types – tissue culture. Trumpet lilies are also marketed as clones, but are more frequently found as strains – lilies grown from seeds that will almost always resemble the parent plants but may vary somewhat from each other since they are not genetic clones. The oriental lilies are elegant, big flowered lilies that derive from species found in Japan and Korea. There are somes species lilies that remain popular and are grown and marketed as strains as well. L. Longiflorum is the popular Easter Lily; while not hardy in northern gardens they are grown by the thousands in greenhouses
