[pbs] L. pitkinense and L. pardalinum
Jane McGary
janemcgary at earthlink.net
Wed Jul 2 12:20:55 EDT 2003
I am no lily expert, but I had the privilege of assisting one, Edward
McRae, in the preparation of his recent book "Lilies," and here is what he
has to say about L. pardalinum 'Giganteum':
"'Red Giant', the Sunset lily, was formerly known as Lilium harrisianum
Beane & Vollmer. It has been treated either as a giant form of L.
pardalinum or as a hybrid between that species and L. humboldtii. Beane and
Vollmer described it from a wild population on the banks of Van Duzen Creek
in northern California. ... This extraordinarily magnificent lily, usually
5-7 feet tall, bears large flowers, 3-4 inches wide, ... gleaming
carmine-red inside from the tip to the midpoint, and chrome yellow from the
middle to the base, tinged in the throat with green, with large spots,
typically gold-ringed in chocolate brown."
Regarding L. pitkinense, McRae writes, "Seedling populations of this
species...showed enormous variation in height, flower size. color, and
flowering season. They resembled a hybrid population more than a true
species. This observation, coupled with the species' singular wild
occurrence, suggests that L. pitkinense in fact represents a natural hybrid
population. The plants were all strong and easy to grow, much like smaller
forms of L. pardalinum."
I grew 'Red Giant' for many years, having bought it from Russell Graham's
nursery in the 1980s and planted it in moist woodland conditions. It can
indeed get very large and has the long scaly rhizome Diana described. (L.
pitkinense is also stoloniferous.)
This discussion has stimulated me to make a trip to Eddie's nursery on the
east side of Mt. Hood this summer and take some photos of these and other
lily species for the wiki.
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon
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