Dual-Purpose 
DUAL-PURPOSE LILIES 
Versatility is a real virtue. A person, place or 
thing that has been “fair to good” for a long time 
suddenly becomes a sensation upon the discovery 
of a new use, or the development of a different ap- 
proach to an old use, or even just a slight variation 
from a standard, routine setup. Such was the case 
a few years ago when scientific timing and other 
refinements of culture and marketing got behind 
the promotion of potted Mums for Mothers Day or 
general Spring selling, with the tremendous added 
appeal of a second blooming in the Fall. 
Other similarity valuable “added starters” have 
been and will be developed, to bring profit to grow- 
ers with vision to see it. Prof. A. F. DeWerth of 
Texas A & M College recently discussed an ap- 
parently sure-fire approach to versatility and 
“something different” in Lilies. Although written 
for the Texas Florist, the basic elements are there 
for all areas; the idea should particularly appeal to 
small retail growers. Ht is, admittedly, not new in 
itself, but how many growers have ever made good 
use of it? 
Appeal 
Essentially, it is this: Hybrid Lilies as pot plants, 
flowering in the greenhouse during February and 
March — sold to the public not only on their imme- 
diate merit but with equal emphasis on the great 
extra “bonus” of an even more rewarding second 
blooming period in the garden during July and 
August. 
In a series of Texas A & M experiments, seven 
hybrid Lily varieties were tested; two had unattrac- 
tive foliage, were too short and consequently were 
rated “unsatisfactory” for the dual purpose in- 
tended. 
The five all-round good varieties, as described, 
are: 
List 
ENCHANTMENT — Well shaped plants, attrac- 
tive dark green foliage. Bright orange flowers, 
petals upright as on Lilium umbellatum. Bloomed 
February 25 to March 1. Average height 14 in. 
Average five flowers to plant but produced showy 
plants. 
Camprire— Deep red attractive flowers. Good 
foliage. Flowered Feb. 10. Should make good St. 
Valentine’s Day plant. Average height 14 in. 
Four to five blooms per plant. 
Joan Evans—Orange yellow flowers with 
dark red spots. Bloomed Feb. 5 to 10. Average 
height 16 in. and produced an average of seven 
flowers per plant. Made very nicely shaped pot 
plants with dark green foliage. 
SERENADE— Orange flowers averaging eight 
blooms per plant. Average height 16 in. Attrac- 
tive dark green foliage. Bloomed Feb. 18 through 
March 5. 
VaGABOND— Salmon colored flowers with pet- 
als curving outward. Flowered Feb. 5, with an 
average of seven blooms per plant and an average 
height of 1014 in. Attractive foliage. 
Describing the conduct and conditions of its Lily 
pot-plant trials, the college reports that “... . the 
bulbs, 5 in. circumference, were received last Nov. 
20, planted three bulbs to a 5 in. pan, placed in 60 
deg. and watered. These bulbs had no cold storage 
treatment before planting and all the plants flow- 
ered on very short stems. Bulbs receiving 30 days 
cold storage and grown by other Texas growers were 
much taller than the plants grown at the college. 
. .. Subsequent trials may be needed to determine 
whether or not the blooming dates can be controlled 
and whether cold storage treatments will be of 
value in producing these bulbs as satisfactory pot 
plants year after year. 
Garden 
“Our plants were pot dropped outdoors in our 
flower borders, and the old flowers removed. The 
bulbs produced a succession of blooms in the gar- 
den from June through August .. . and in every 
case the plants were taller, which is an added ad- 
vantage in the garden. 
“The trials to date are not 100 per cent reliable 
as to blooming dates and some care should be exer- 
cised in determining the number of plants to grow. 
But some of the better varieties are certainly wor- 
thy of trial in smaller quantities. . . 
outside the Southwest area should adapt, where 
necessary, any of the above conditions as to tem- 
peratures, light intensities and dates——From Flor- 
ists Exchange and Horticultural Trade World, 
October 4th, 1952. 
.’ Growers 
Page 47 
