LILIES - RHS Lily Group

descendants of the original White plantings.
The lilies
Turning now specifically to the lilies of Gilbert White we definitely know that
he grew five lily species. These are referred to in The Garden Kalendar 1751-
1777 and The Journal 1768-1793. These lily species are known today as Lilium
bulbiferum var. croceum, L. candidum, L. chalcedonicum, L. martagon and
L. pomponium. However, having researched several papers and books, I also
believe there is a strong probability that Gilbert would also have grown or at least
been very aware of some of the East Coast American species that were being
introduced into cultivation in the mid to late eighteenth century.
Philip Miller F.R.S. writing in 1752 in the sixth edition of his “The Gardeners
Dictionary Containing the Methods of Cultivating and Improving the Kitchen
Flowers, Fruit and Pleasure Garden” mentions an American species Lilium flavum
angustifolium, the spotted Canada Martagon, now known as Lilium canadense
or the Canada Lily.
The American botanist John Bartram (1699-1777) sent seed of the following
lilies to Peter Collinson a keen gardener, seed importer and distributor who
lived in Mill Hill, to the North of London: Lilium canadense as above, Lilium
philadelphicum, the orange-cap lily, and Lilium superbum, the American Turk’scap
lily. White would have known or known of William Curtis founder of Curtis’s
Botanical Magazine in 1787 which has been published continuously to this day.
These “leading lights” in the world of plant discovery, importation and cultivation
would have had contact with each other if not in person at least by way of plant
lists and catalogues.
In the descriptions of two East Coast American lilies further into this article
you will read that although we do not have definite proof that White grew
the “Americans” we have almost conclusive proof that these new East Coast
Americans were known to him.
White would have been unaware of the vast range of species lilies that have
been arriving from China during the course of the last 150 years or so. Nor would
he have grown the West Coast American species such as Lilium washingtonianum
var. pupurascens which provide a real challenge to lily growers in the UK their
cultivation requiring the cool conditions of the mountains of northern California
and Oregon with very dry weather from August onwards.
So let’s take a look at each of the lily species grown by White and those we
suspect he probably grew or at least was very aware of.
Lilium bulbiferum var. croceum
This species is not currently grown at the Wakes although I hope to donate some
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