The middle of summer in the South can be a challenging time for gardeners, so it's nice to have some plants that
don't mind the long, hot days. One such flower is Philippine lily, a variety of
Lilium formosanum. This old Southern favorite has been rediscovered by gardeners
interested in plants with ease of maintenance and spectacular flowers. The
blooms are a welcome sight during July and August, when few other plants are at
their peak.
A Faraway Treasure
Originally found on the island of Taiwan
(formerly known as Formosa), this lily occurs in several types. Philippine
lilies are more at home in warmer climates but will be hardy anywhere in the
South. The flowers resemble those of a downward-hanging Easter lily but have a
slightly longer trumpet shape. They are white with maroon shading along the
outer base. One of the flower's most attractive features is its wonderful
ability to rebloom later in the season--a time when almost every other lily has
finished its show.
In the Garden
If someone were to invent the ideal plant for a
cottage garden, Philippine lily would definitely be it. The blooms look most
appealing when springing forth behind masses of foliage and flowering plants,
such as blue cape plumbago, cockscomb, gomphrena, balsam, or coleus. Ornamental
plants such as maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus') or fountain
grass (Pennisetum setaceum) provide effective textural contrast with the large
clusters of 8-inch trumpet-shaped lilies, which are gracefully arranged on 3- to
7-inch leafy stems.
Greg Grant, a horticulturist at the Mercer Arboretum &
Botanic Gardens in Humble, Texas, has been growing and admiring Philippine
lilies for many years. One August day while he was a student at Texas A&M
University, Greg spotted what appeared to be thousands of tall Easter lilies
blooming in the woods. He turned the car around and drove back. There was a
little white house nestled among the pines; the surrounding yard, the woods, and
even the roadside were covered with hundreds--if not thousands--of giant white
Philippine lilies. It seemed to be a scene from heaven. "I decided right then
and there that I wouldn't stop trying until I had re-created that magical scene
for myself," Greg recalls. "I have been growing them successfully ever since but
still haven't achieved the magnificent vision I first experienced."
(To read more about summer flowers, see "Flowers From the Farm," beginning
on page 68, in the July 2002 issue of Southern Living.)
