Lilium Hulk - Asiatic Lily

The Lilium ‘Hulk’ is an LA hybrid lily with a truly singular appearance, with its large artichoke-green buds that open into double flowers full of petals, gradually turning bright orange. The sturdy stems, well furnished with foliage, bear several large, upright corollas, spectacular in the garden or in a vase. Undemanding and hardy, this summer-flowering bulb is cultivated in borders or large containers.

This lily belongs to the vast genus Lilium, formed of perennial bulbous plants from the Liliaceae family, originating mainly from the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. The "LA hybrids" result from the cross-breeding between Lilium longiflorum and Asiatic lilies: they possess vigorous stems, larger flowers than classic Asiatic lilies, and a subtle fragrance.
The Lilium ‘Hulk’ is classified in this group. Its large-calibre bulbs produce upright stems 70 to 90 cm tall, sometimes more in rich soil. Each stem bears 5 to 7 double flowers, upright, 12 to 16 cm in diameter, initially green, becoming cream, yellow, then distinctly orange, finely veined. The leaves, narrow, lanceolate, medium to dark green, clothe the entire height of the stems. Flowering occurs from June to August depending on the region. The foliage is deciduous: the aerial part disappears after flowering, while the bulb goes dormant to re-emerge the following spring. 'Hulk' is a creation from the De Jong Lelies company, based in Andijk, the Netherlands. The plant behaves as a hardy perennial in well-drained soils, with good longevity.

In the garden, the ‘Hulk’ lily does not go unnoticed. Plant it in groups of 5 bulbs amongst Achillea millefolium ‘Walther Funcke’ in harmony with its orange colouring. Its green-cream-orange double flowers pair perfectly with the zesty tones of the ornamental tobacco Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green’ and Moluccella laevis Bells of Ireland. These two varieties are perfect for filling in between the lily stems. At the edge of a border or in a large container, you could choose a Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’ or a Heuchera ‘Marmalade’. Its robust stems and large, well-held flowers also make ‘Hulk’ an excellent lily for cut flower arrangements, to mix for example with some Ammi majus or gypsophila flowers.

Lilies have been cultivated since antiquity for their flowers, but also for their medicinal and symbolic uses, notably in European religious iconography.