Lilium Manitoba Morning

Lilium 'Manitoba Morning' is a recently bred hybrid of the martagon variety. Its numerous pink-violet flowers are spotted and speckled with brown and yellow. A lovely highly fragrant variety that is a must-have for collectors and will faithfully bloom every year.

'Manitoba Morning' is a deciduous bulbous plant with a narrow and upright habit from spring onwards. It belongs to the Liliaceae family. It is a hybrid obtained through cross-breeding between Lilium martagon and Lilium hansonii. This compact plant will reach 80 cm (32in) high when in bloom, and the clump will spread indefinitely over time as the bulbs produce bulblets through vegetative propagation. From mid-summer to September, medium-sized flowers with a diameter of 8 cm (3in) appear in clusters of 3 to 8. They bloom facing downwards, heir petals curl back when ripe and are a light pink-violet with yellow and brown speckles. Each stem bears about twenty pleasantly fragrant flowers. The lanceolate leaves are dark green.

This lily establishes itself a bit more slowly than Asian, trumpet, or oriental lilies. It may take an extra season before flowering, and planting conditions must be carefully attended to. Martagon lilies sulk when moved and need time to settle. Plant lilies with other perennials in borders as they appreciate having their feet in the shade, and the other perennials will help prevent the stems from bending in the wind. The 'Manitoba Morning' hybrid is ideal for borders, cool rockeries, and of course, cut flowers. The botanical martagon lily, from which this variety and a whole line of magnificent hybrids originate, is protected in the wild, and both its flowers and foliage are remarkable.