| | 'LanKon' - Easter Lily (Japan) x L. lankongense (China)
Flower Description: ‘Lankon’ is difficult to describe properly because it is the first of its kind to be offered to the garden market; bred from the Japanese species L. longiflorum (Easter Lily) and the Chinese species L. lankongense found in the alpine areas of the Yunnan Province.
Shown to the public for the first time at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in London in the spring of 2011, ‘Lankon’ scored as one of the most popular exhibits at that show. While L. lankongense has been bred successfully in the past with other Asiatic hybrids and Asiatic classification type species, this is a first with the Easter Lily and was made possible through embryo rescue under laboratory conditions. This is a process were the little seed embryo is removed from the seed capsule itself and then is grown on in a test tube agar solution as the seed does not contain enough endosperm (Think: popcorn, which is the endosperm that expands when “popped”.) to nourish the emerging embryo to the cotyledon (first leaf) stage.
‘LanKon’ exhibits exquisitely the best of both parents assuring its place in the garden. Having a beautiful, lingering fragrance reminiscent of “Daddy” (L. lankongense) and the stamina and heavy stems of her Easter Lily “Mama”, you can expect late June /early July bloom and height of about 3 to 4 feet normally. Established “older” bulbs have a potential under favorable conditions to be as much as 5 feet tall. You can easily see the contributions of both parents within the shape and coloration of the flowers; the wide flaring bells of the Easter Lily and the heavily spotted pattern of L. lankongense. Both species prefer a loose friable acidic soil with some humus, but they have also shown tolerance to lime.
Our bulbs this spring are coming directly from the grower and those this fall will be harvested out of our Oregon field. Though we have had a great deal of experience with hybrids of L. lankongense bred to Asiatics and with L. longiflorum (Easter Lilies) bred to Asiatics, we have little long term experience with this lily itself, but based on experience with the parents we can make some safe assumptions about hardiness. We have classified this as easily grown in Zone 5 and up but suspect it will handle a zone 3 as well. We do recommend though, until more is known about this hybrid, colder than Zone 5 should be mulched after the ground freezes. If in the Midwest – since you already need to mulch all but Asiatic lilies for the winter, plant these bulbs nearby and mulch them as well – just to be on the safe side.
Our photo insets are a close up of the flowers of 'LanKon', a photo taken of L. lankongense here on the farm from a few years back and a stock photo of L. longiflorum.
Bulb Size - Our standard for bulbs of this Easter x L. lankongense Hybrid Lily Bulb cultivar will range from Premium-size» (16/18 cm) to Exhibition-size» (over 20 cm)though our initial spring 2012 offering will be made up entirely of size 16/18 bulbs as supplied from the grower. Click here for details.
Classification: Longiforum-Asiatic Hybrid Lily Bulb (USDA Zones 5-10, winter mulch recommended in the colder climates)
Stock #L8227 - 'Lankon' - Easter Lily x L. lankongense Hybrid Lily Bulb
Plant Lily Bulbs Immediately upon Receipt
Lily bulbs are never completely dormant and need to be planted as soon as possible. You can delay planting for 2-3 weeks by keeping the bulbs in a cool, not frozen (34-40° F.), area of a garage, basement or refrigerator, but longer and you risk bulb damage. You must open the shipping box to check your order and then re-close any plastic bags before short term storage. Our packing material protects your bulbs and absorbs excessive moisture, but if large water droplets form within the plastic bag, poke more “air” holes in the sides of the poly bag, being careful to not damage your sleeping bulbs. Lily bulbs are happiest in the garden where they can begin growing new roots immediately.
Choose an area with good air circulation and well-drained soil. Waterlogged soils, with poor drainage or too much “organics” in the soil mean certain death to lily bulbs. A sloping site with natural drainage is best. When planting in heavy clay, try mixing Perlite (the white crunchy stuff found in commercial potting soil – not Vermiculite that holds moisture) or sand with the native soil to create raised beds 8 to 10 inches above ground level, or make raised beds of garden-safe, treated wood. If bothered by moles, mice or gophers nail 1/4-inch galvanized hardware cloth on the bottom of the framework before you back fill with good soil. Sandy loam soils rich in humus with a pH of 5.5-6.5 are ideal.
Lilies look most natural planted in triangular groups of three, spaced 12”-18” apart. Provide at least 6 hours of sun, dappled shade in very warm regions for Orientals. Cover bulbs with fluffy soil and mulch to control weeds and maintain even ground moisture. Plant bulbs 2”- 4” deeper in areas where daily temperatures average over 90 degrees F. and the soil is sandy. Do not plant among aggressive ground covers or where large trees or shrubs will rob nutrients or moisture. Lily bulbs need regular fertilizer, water, and cultivation. They do NOT “naturalize” like Daffodils or Tulips, which have a hard outer shell. Be sure to mulch bulbs in cold climates if a good winter snow cover is not expected. Likewise, in more temperate areas, cold saturated soil will rot lily bulbs some years, so a raised area and fast-draining soil is recommended. Click to leave this page and go to More Information
Find your USDA Hardiness Zone
The chart published by the USDA and complete interactive searching can be found on the website for the US National Arboretum. When researching your location, bear in mind that the map lines are not absolute and each garden has its own unique micro-climate. Neighborhoods with more trees blocking the wind, hills that "drain" away moisture faster, concrete bulkheads, sidewalks and driveways that tend to collect heat, as well as southern exposures will allow you to grow plants that might not be recommended for your area. The general guidelines are based on average low temperatures are found below. To open a new browser window access the interactive map click USDA Zone Chart
Asiatics (Graffity, Tigerplay, etc.) grow best in zones 1 to 9, no winter mulch is needed and they prefer colder winters to reset bloom.
Purebred Orientals (Casablanca, Star Gazer, etc.), without mulch, zones 6 to 9, but if heavily mulched for winter or with a good snowfall, down to zone 3 or 4 easily.
Purebred Trumpets (Copper King, Pink Perfection, etc.), without mulch, zones 7 to 10; heavily mulched, down to zone 3 or 4, but can be subject to late freeze damage in May, cover emerging stems if temperatures below 30 degrees F. are expected.
Oriental-Trumpet Hybrids (Conca ‘dOr, Sweetheart, etc.), same as Purebred Orientals, but seem to be more resistant to late frost damage, plus because of the “trumpet” genes, they do not require as much winter chill as Oriental lilies, thus are very suitable for southern areas and will take higher heat in summer. (See our Heatbuster™ Collection for more information.)
Zone 1--- ( Below -50 F) --- Fairbanks, Alaska; Resolute, NW Territories (Canada)
Zone 2a --- (-50 to -45 F) --- Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Flin Flon, Manitoba (Canada)
Zone 2b --- (-45 to -40 F) --- Unalakleet, Alaska; Pinecreek, Minnesota
Zone 3a --- (-40 to -35 F) --- International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska
Zone 3b --- (-35 to -30 F) --- Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana
Zone 4a --- (-30 to -25 F) --- Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana
Zone 4b --- (-25 to -20 F) --- Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska
Zone 5a --- (-20 to -15 F) --- Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois
Zone 5b --- (-15 to -10 F) --- Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania
Zone 6a --- (-10 to -5 F) --- St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Zone 6b --- (-5 to 0 F) --- McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri
Zone 7a --- (0 to 5 F) --- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia
Zone 7b --- (5 to 10 F) --- Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia
Zone 8a --- (10 to 15 F) --- Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas
Zone 8b --- (15 to 20 F) --- Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida
Zone 9a --- (20 to 25 F) --- Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida
Zone 9b --- (25 to 30 F) --- Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida
Zone 10a --- (30 to 35 F) --- Naples, Florida; Victorville, California
Zone 10b --- (35 to 40 F) --- Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida
Zone 11 --- (above 40 F) --- Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico
You May Also Be Interested In Related Items | Wild Lilies Wild Lily bulbs making up the genus Lilium belong to the family Liliaceae comprising of approximately 200 genera made up of approximately 2,000 lily species. There are in the neighborhood of 110 to 120 Lilium species depending on whose classification you reference. For the full article, click Knowledge Base |
