Lilium Scheherazade

Lilium 'Scheherazade' is a robust and floriferous hybrid with large flowers in summer with contrasting, pleasing colours of deep red, white, and cream at the heart of the corolla. The flowers have an intoxicating and heady fragrance. Easy to grow, reliable, and floriferous like oriental species, this variety is also as hardy as the royal lily that is involved in its ancestry. 'Schéhérazade' is magnificent in borders or even in large rockeries, and is also perfect for cut flowers.

The genus Lilium belongs to the lily family, these representatives are bulbous plants with deciduous foliage and a narrow and upright habit from spring onwards. 'Schéhérazade' is a hybrid obtained by cross-breeding 'Thunderbold' and 'BlackBeauty'. It is also related to the royal lily, native to western China, which gives it vigorous growth and reliable character. This plant will reach 150 cm (59in) high when in bloom , and the clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the bulbs producing bulblets through vegetative multiplication. In the heart of summer, in July-August, umbels of 15 cm (6in) diameter trumpets with a sumptuous fragrance appear. The corolla of each flower is composed of 6 dark, deep red petals, edged with cream yellow that fade with age. These already magnificent colours are also marked with a few spots of pink, green, and brown like a finishing touch by a meticulous painter. The stems are very strong, almost unbreakable, which makes 'Schéhérazade' ideal for cut flowers. The leaves are lanceolate, dark green, and shiny.

This lily thrives in humus-rich soil and does not like chalky, poorly drained, and heavy soils. You can grow it with perennial plants as they prefer to have their base in the shade and the perennials will help prevent the stems from bending in the wind. Trumpet lilies are popular in gardens and they are generally very hardy and vigorous plants. They faithfully bloom more abundantly each year, if the conditions are right. They have an undeniable elegance in borders and are a signature of a well-designed and planted garden to which they bring precious charm.