About Lilies

Lilies have a long history of cultivation and are native to Asia, Europe and North America. Commercial varieties originated from lilies growing in the wild; there are over 70 species scattered over the world. Lilium candidum, known as the Madonna Lily, has been grown since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs and depicted on their tombs. During its long history, the Madonna Lily has been associated with the Virgin Mary and was used in religious artwork of the Renaissance, representing purity. This plant traveled from the Near East to Europe and the New World. It was also a food source and used in medicinal treatments.

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, Asiatic lilies were introduced to Europe as a result of explorations by the Dutch and English. Oriental lilies arrived around 1850. At the end of the 19^th century, plant explorers brought back trumpet lilies from the mountains of China.

Early commercial distribution of lilies in the West was by the W.A. Constable company in England. There were hardcover catalogs produced prior to World War II that are valued today for their photographs and growing information. Jan de Graff, a Dutch expatriate, was instrumental in the 1950's in establishing commercial acceptance of lilies in the United States. He owned Oregon Bulb Farms and set up a hybridization program to develop lilies that were hardy, easy to grow and beautiful. His most famous hybrid was 'Enchantment.' Leslie Woodriff was another important American hybridizer. His most remarkable achievement was 'Black Beauty'; the tetraploid form of this lily was the basis of many spectacular hybrids. Woodriff's most famous introduction was the Oriental lilium, 'Stargazer,' which is the most successful commercial lily in history.

(Source: Lilies – A Guide for Growers and Collectors by Edward Austin McRae, Timber Press, 1998.)