Lilium Sweet Zanica - Lily

Lilium Sweet Zanica is a beautiful hybrid of Asian lilies and Lilium longiflorum (Easter lily) created for cut flowers. This variety produces a long, sturdy stem in July that will bear distinctly bicoloured flowers, sprinkled with purplish violet on a white background. Arranged vertically, they offer themselves to the eye while diffusing a beautiful fragrance reminiscent of freesia. This variety, a little sensitive to cold, prefers moist and fertile soils. A true delight for the eyes and nose, both in the garden and in bouquets!

The 'Sweet Zanica' Lily is a Dutch horticultural creation by Vletter & Den Haan. It is a bulb with deciduous vegetation from the lily family. It is part of a group of hybrids derived from Asian species such as Lilium longiflorum and L. formosanum, both a little frost-sensitive. These popular floristry varieties are somewhat susceptible to viruses and severe frost. In full bloom, 'Sweet Zanica' will reach between 70 and 80 cm in height, and its vegetation will spread over time, with the bulbs producing numerous bulblets through vegetative multiplication. Each floral stem bears a small number of flowers measuring approximately 8 cm in diameter, facing upwards. They have a "sprayed" pattern, as if the throat of the flower and the edge of the petals had been sprinkled with purplish violet. At the heart of each flower, there are stamens with purple anthers. The long, glossy, dark green leaves are narrow and lanceolate, with parallel veins. The vegetation dries up in autumn, while the bulb enters a dormant state. The bulbs are reserve organs with fleshy, overlapping scales.

Hybrid longiflorum lilies like 'Sweet Zanica' bloom after 12 or 13 weeks of cultivation, and it is possible to "force" them by planting them early in the season in a conservatory or a warm room. The soil they are planted in should remain moist throughout the growth and flowering period. In the garden, in not too cold regions, you can grow these hybrid lilies with non-invasive perennial plants (lupins, delphiniums) or undemanding small bushes like Caryopteris 'Sterling Silver', bushy potentillas in assorted colours, and even with small ground cover roses. Lilies appreciate having their feet in the shade, and the companion plants will help prevent the stems from bending under the wind. The 'Sweet Zanica' lily will be stunning in flower beds, pots, and of course, in a bouquet.