Oriental-Trumpet Hybrids (Orienpet or OT)

Also called Orienpets or OT Hybrids, these Interspecific crosses between Oriental and Trumpet lilies have produced lily bulbs that easily weather late Midwestern frosts without bud kill, but have the sweet fragrance and shape of Oriental lilies. These improved hybrids have all been trialed under garden conditions, so now you can have solid yellow "Orientals" for late summer, with increased drought-resistance and reliability. Hybridizers are working on increasing the color range, and as additional varieties become available, they will be introduced in this section. Also included in this group are Orientals, bred from the famous Tetraploid form of 'Black Beauty' crossed with a Tetraploid conversion of 'Rachel Pappo' or 'Journey's End'. These wonderful cultivars tend to the red shades and usually are more expensive, due to their limited distribution, but have proven themselves in garden trials all across the USA.

Planting: As with either the purebred Trumpet or Oriental lilies, bulbs the size of your fist or smaller should have 4 to 6 inches of soil covering them. Exhibition-size™ or Private Harvest™ grades need to be much deeper. The old adage of "2-1/2 times the depth (of the bulb) works here. If you have heavy soil, it would be better to plant a bit more shallow or use a raised for better drainage.