Quoted from The Horticultural Advertiser, 2 September 1953 
“MID-CENTURY” Hybrid Lilies 
A NEW ERA IN LILY GROWING 
After a lapse of many years in the cultivation of 
Liliums we are now entering an era when Lily hy- 
brids will contribute very materially to more general 
success in this branch of horticultural activity, and 
growers will find but little difficulty in establishing 
many very beautiful forms in their gardens. 
There has been some opposition to lily hybrids 
in the past and in The Lily Year Book (1950) , Carl 
Grant Wilson, of Cleveland, Ohio, wrote—“It was 
with considerable surprise that I read on page 61 of 
the 1947 Lily Year Book that it was the consensus of 
opinion that no Lily hybrids surpassed their parents. 
‘To mention one example only—what about the Pres- 
ton Hybrids? That these face outwards where they 
can be seen is an advance over all their parents and 
any advance in a hybrid makes it superior to its 
predecessors. Same comment applies to L. Shuksan, 
also to L. umbellatum ‘Orange ‘Triumph’. I wonder 
what Jan de Graaff would say to that statement. 
Seems to me somebody is going to eat crow before 
that question is settled.” 
Well, Carl Wilson—who, by the way, is an Amer- 
ican horticulturist in a very big way—was correct, 
and Jan de Graaff has given an answer in no un- 
certain manner in his new race of Mid-Century Hy- 
brids which are now in commerce. Miss Preston, of 
Canada, did it before him, and her hybrids, particu- 
larly the “Stenographer” group, are now greatly ap- 
preciated in this country. They are thoroughly estab- 
lished in my garden. and have excelled themselves 
this year and have been much admired. 
The de Graaff Hybrids 
Mr. Jan de Graaff sent me bulbs for trial in the 
autumn of last year of his Mid-Century Hybrids; 
they arrived in good condition and were planted 
the first week of December, 1952. Every bulb grew, 
and some of them have two and three stems. These 
hybrids are the result of a rather involved hybridiza- 
tion process that included Lilium tigrinwm on one 
side and hybrids between L. dauricum, L. concolor, 
L. aurantiacum, and several others on the other 
side. By crossing and backcrossing these Lilies and 
their offspring, he has evolved this new strain. All 
the varieties have remarkable vigor, and they in- 
herit the hardiness and the intensified color of 
their parents. The incidence of “hybrid vigor’ is 
most pronounced. The Mid-Century Hybrids are 
divided into two sections, flowers outward-facing 
and flowers erect. 
Flowering Dates and Description 
They began to flower on 26 June, and some of 
them continued until the beginning of August. The 
first to flower was Goldrush. This is a most striking 
Lily, and is certainly one of the finest yellow varie- 
ties in cultivation. It is outstanding in its beauty 
with large, outward-facing flowers of brilliant yellow 
with dark spots on the petals which intensify the 
golden colour. The beautifully proportioned and 
Page 44 
nicely spaced head of blooms is borne on a stout, 
deep brown stem with olive green glossy foliage and 
carried eleven flowers. It was followed by Tangelo 
with star-shaped, outward-facing, large flowers of a 
brilliant orange shade nicely spotted. It is a strong 
grower, and the stem carried fifteen flowers. ‘These 
two began to flower on 28 June. 
The next to flower was Harmony on 3 July. This 
is a gem and certainly one of the finest of a fine lot. 
It has very wide-petalled, upright flowers of a rich 
orange quite distinct from any of the others. The 
stem carried ten large flowers making a splendid 
bouquet. It was followed four days later by Pagoda 
notable for its colour which is hard to describe, but 
it is almost exactly similar to that of the grand old 
Calendula Orange King, and eight upright flowers 
were borne on a tall stem. They are very nicely ar- 
ranged. Next came Tango, the lightest coloured of 
all. The colour is a soft shade of amber, and eleven 
nicely formed, outward-facing flowers were carried 
on the stem. It was followed a day later, on 8 July, 
by Valencia which has attractive, soft orange-col- 
oured flowers facing outward and which open flat 
with quaintly reflexed petals spotted with maroon. 
The stem carried nine flowers. 
The next to flower was Serenade on 14 July. 
This has outward-facing, very large flowers of a 
delicious soft orange delicately spotted with brown 
dots. The stem carried nine flowers. On the same 
day Enchantment came into flower, and this is an 
exquisite Lily, well named. It is brilliant in the sun- 
shine and with a soft entrancing glow which gleams 
very strikingly in the crepuscular light of a later 
summer evening. It reminds one of a gorgeous sun- 
set. The colour of the beautifully shaped, upright 
flowers is a rich Nasturtium red. The stems are 
strong and carried ten flowers. It was shown at the 
Lily meeting of the R.H.S. on 7 July by the Com- 
missioners of Crown Lands, Windsor, and gained an 
Award of Merit. This lily has been patented by Mr. 
de Graaff. 
Harlequin followed on 15 July, and this Lily has 
outward-facing flowers of a lovely shade of salmon- 
buff. The soft tones of this Lily are shown up by the 
contrast of the glossy green foliage. The stems car- 
ried seven flowers. This was followed by Joan Evans, 
with upright flowers of glowing golden yellow, 
spotted with maroon. The stems carried nine flow- 
ers. The last to flower, on 17 July, was Campfire. It 
has flowers of a rich, deep, fiery Indian red with 
very few spots which are hardly noticeable on each 
sharply pointed, narrow petal. It is outstanding in 
colour, and seven flowers were carried on each stem. 
These are all splendid Lilies and will be grand 
for cutting and for a display in the garden. Har- 
mony, Enchantment, Valencia, and Pagoda are out- 
standing. A lovely new race of facile Lilies of which 
Mr. de Graaff may well be proud. —LoTHIAN 
