Garden-Tested LILY BULBS | Contact Us
Mango Surprise - J. Mak Oriental Hybrid™

Mango Surprise - J. Mak Oriental™

Item# L7027
"Sorry, Sold Out Spring 2024"
Spicy fragrance, 3 to 4 Feet. Mid / Late July flowering.

One of the things we love and admire about Johan Mak is his humbleness. If I had bred 'Mango Surprise' I would have been doing handsprings on my way to show it off (and at my age probably ending up flat on my back, unconscious) whereas, Johan has more of an “Ah Shucks” attitude preferring to just stroll past something and allowing it to be "discovered". Only once in over 30 years has Johan ever led me directly to a lily rather preferring to see my initial reaction upon "my" discovery. Just when you thought Johan might have reached the pinnacle of breeding, then something like 'Mango Surprise' shows up.

Photographed here in his field in temperatures in the high 90's to be followed a few days later just topping 100, 'Mango Surprise' did nothing more than simply shrug off the direct sun and high temperatures. In temperatures such as this, with his Orientals, Johan overhead waters (rather than use drip lines as he routinely does) to water for about 30 minutes, just enough to get the soil surface damp and then moves on to the next section. With four sections, it takes 2 hours to irrigate and then he starts the process again. When asked why, he replied, “it is just enough water to pull heat out of the soil as it evaporates keeping the bulbs a bit cooler” which the Orientals appreciated greatly in high heat periods while in flower.

Now in our 45th year as B & D Lilies, we have never seen anything like this color combination. The magnificent color fast coral pink base blending to rich mango yellow centers is truly unique and one of a kind. Set off with just the right number of spots to enhance their beauty, we wonder if even Johan will surpass this marvel of breeding genius in the future. As we always do with the softer colored Orientals, we recommend some light afternoon shade in hot areas to give a more intense color display in your garden.

Bulb Size - Our standard for bulbs of this lily cultivar ranges from Premium-size (16/18cm) to Exhibition-size (over 20 cm). Click here for details.

Classification: Oriental Hybrid Lily (USDA Zones 7b-9, lows to +5 F. Winter mulch recommended in the colder climates)

Stock # 7027 - 'Mango Surprise' - Mak Oriental Hybrid Lily

J. Mak Oriental™ and J. Mak Oriental Hybrid™ are trademarks of Mak-Leek Inc.
Scroll to top
+