_—__—___—_THE HOUSTON PRESS— _ FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1943 
Six-Year-Old Lily Farm at Spring Proves Worth 

—PAGE NINETEEN 
To Houston Area; Many New Varieties Developed 
Mrs. Meysenburg 
Enthusiastic Over 
Russell Hybrids 
Nearly six years ago there was 
an article in the Garden Page of 
, The Houston Press telling of the 
jarrival of a hybridizer of hemero-; 
callis, H. M. Russell from South: 
Carolina. The Chamber of Com-’ 
merce announced that Mr. Russell 
would start a day-lily farm in Hous- 
ton, due to the excellence of the 
}soil and climatic conditions of the 
| Houston area. An extensive research 
j and hybridization were planned for 
the lily farm. 
Teday, there is a nine-acre lily 
farm established at Spring, 23 miles 
from Houston with more than @ 
half million plants. 
Many lilies are in full bloom on: 
each clump, with vivid colorings 
ranging from yellow to orange and 
many new varieties showing reds to 
purple. Our two ordinary day lilies, 
the flava and the fulva, have been 
used in gardens in this country for 
more than 100 years and were tak- 
en into Europe from the Orient 
about 300 years ago. Sitting in the 
corners, these two Cinderellas in 
their yellow and orange dresses had 
to be content with blooming only 
for a day and closing up at night, 
with only a few variations in their 
attire. Their Greek botanical name, 
“Hemerocallis,” means “Beauty for 
a Day,’ and in the language of 
flowers, they have been called “Co-! 
| quettes.” 
The fulva doesn’t make seeds, so 
the flava, has been worked overtime 
in the hybridization with the fulva, 
‘and other species furnishing pol-) 
‘len to diversify the colorings. Thir-' 
teen other species found in Europe: 
have been used by Mr. Russell to 
obtain new varieties. Many of the 
new lilies have been crossed and 
hybridized for 15 generations and 
Mr. Russell with his patience and 
skill has developed lilies which will 
remain open for the night, have! 

daily newspaper of Houston, Texas 
|many new colorings, different tex-|sell 1942, has a brilliant flower|brown colorings.” 
ltures, a larger expanse in the open- 
jing of the throat and have been) with almost black eye zone. The 
climatized to withstand heat, ex- sepals are a lighter shade with the 
| treme cold and to defy the floods| inroat a deep orange. This variety 
}and heavy rains. with its velvety satin sheen defies 
| The lily farm was visited after|@ur hottest sun and blooms in May 
lsevere rain and the blossom of thejand June. 
| well known Hyperion couldn’t com-| Mr, Russell pointed out the fol- 
pare with the new bybrid, Mrs. B.!lowing varieties as favorites: Quote 
F. Bonner, This new lily, a mi be (the name given by Pat Flem- 
pale yellow color with the size much 
with dark mahogany red petals} One clump of the Marguerite|soil and climatic conditions. 
This is an article by the Garden editor of a : 
flourishing under a varied range of 
Wet 
Palmer has been in profuse bloom|or dry, acid or lime, sand or Clay, 
and by its side, the Mary Rice Ful-|sun or shade, they pursue pe 
ler has been producing blooms, The! habits of giving charm to the gar- 
Santa Fe is one of her favorites}|den and strange to say, they have 
and also the Seven Seas, Spit Fire,;no attractions for insects. 
Sylvia, San Jacinto. Her Purple 
Sage is a deep wine color, almost 
purple with the petals ruffled, hav- 
ing a slight yellow mid-rib. The 
ing of the park system when Mr.|Belle of Georgia is a pale yellow, 
larger than the Hyperion and the|Russell was describing it in ex-jovercast with color and markings 
bloom much earlier, held its bloom)travagant termts), On Tour, Emily|similarly to 4 ripe peach. 
Brown, War Path, Lo, the Wind,|Crystal Fairy is a light salmon pink 
Betty| with medium size blooms. 
erect and open after the rain. 
BROWNISH-RED Fiesta, Tejas, Ruth Zant, 
Slick, Painted Lady, Santa Fe. 
The Marguerite Palmer, named Seven Seas, Joy Russell, Juarez, 
for the garden editor of The Press, 
has a bloom with petals fully re- 
flex and four and half inches in 
diameter in the rounded bloom. 
This new variety is brownish red 
in color with a salmon sheen. It 
is a twice bloomer, appearing in 
both spring and fall. The Mary 
Rice Fuller, named for the mother 
of }:~ Palmer, is a 1943 Russell 
hybr.*. with petals a soft canary 
yellow with a distinct deep rose 
eye zone. The sepals are lemon 
colored, giving the softest and most|rieties. She is proud of her “Red 
pleasing effect. It blooms in April; Emperor, “SO appropriately 
and May and again in late sum-|named,” she said, “for the blos- 
mer. The Pride of Houston, 2 Rus- 
Old Vintage, Queen of Dallas, Mar- 
garet Slaughter, Annis Victoria 
Russell, Purle Waters and Purple 
Sage. 
BECOMES ENTHUSIAST 
Mrs. R. C. Meysenburg, 5401 Car- 
oline, who has been horticultural 
advisor for the Southwest region 
of the Garden Club of America, has 
become an enthusiasé in planting 
the Russell hybrids and one garden 
bed is filleq with the choicest va- 
The 
COLORINGS VARIED 
“There is no reason for any one 
to tire of the colorings of day 
lilies,” said Mr. Russell, “for they 
are so varied.. Too, they do not 
ursurp the garden for the hybrids 
do not send out runners and they 
remain in compact clumps. The 
division can be left alone from year 
to year, making larger clumps and 
producing more blooms each sea- 
son. With selecting different va- 
rieties, day lilies can be in bloom 
in the garden for four or five 
months of the year. The varieties 
also differ in height.” 
Another interesting feature of 
| soms are very large with reddish'the day lilies is their hardiness, 
When Mr. Russell hybridizes to 
bring in new varieties, each seed; 
from the flower crossed with other| 
pollen is planted and not one of 
the many is discarded for it is 
never known which seed will pro- 
duce the choice flower. ‘These are 
marked and watched for several 
generations. The culls are dis- 
carded. 
“See that field,” said Mr. Russell, 
“the pigs will be turned in there 
to feed on the roots. “To the cas- 
ual observer, the lilies seemed to be) 
the best varieties but to Mr. Russell 
there were faults in them, 
“There is a difference for a true| 
variety has life, sheen, color, vigor 
—it is alive,” he said. “These oth- 
ers do not come up to standard: 
and will not be allowed to grow in, 
any one’s garden.” 
Shipments have been made to; 
every state in the Union, Canada; 
and Mexico and the indust!V has 
grown until it has become an asset 
to industrial Houston. 



