Lilium tsingtauense - Lily

Lilium tsingtauense is a rare Chinese botanical lily, related to the martagon lily, with numerous trumpet-shaped flowers, ranging from bright orange to red, spotted and speckled with brown. Its foliage is marbled with different shades of green, and its light fragrance is not always perceived as pleasant. This must-have variety for collectors is easy to grow in moist soil and partial shade.

Lilium tsingtauense is a deciduous bulbous plant, with a narrow and upright clump of foliage from spring. It belongs to the lily family. It is an Asian species, native to China and Korea, with slight variations depending on the origin. 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 multiplication. From the height of summer until September, medium-sized flowers, 8 cm (3in) in diameter, with shallow cups, appear in clusters of 6 to 15. They open towards the sky, carried by twisted pedicels. Their petals are very bright orange with brown spots. The dark green leaves are marbled with lighter green and are lanceolate, but wider towards their tips, arranged in whorls of 2.

This lily establishes itself a bit more slowly than Asiatic, trumpet, or Oriental lilies. It may take an extra season before flowering, and planting conditions must be carefully attended to. Martagon lilies and their relatives sulk when moved and need time to settle. Grow your lilies with other perennials in borders, as they like having their feet in the shade, and these other plants will help prevent the stems from bending in the wind. The tsingtauense lily likes moisture and filtered light. It is ideal in lightly shaded woodland areas, moist rockeries, and will be good for cut flowers. The botanical martagon lily is a close relative of this species and easily hybridizes with it. Like the martagon lily, Lilium tsingtauense is a protected bulb in the wild, with remarkable flowers and foliage.