Gardening in Central Oregon

The National Garden Bureau has declared 2024 as the Year of the Lily.  It has also named 2024 as the Year of the: African Violet, Squash, Angelonia (summer snapdragon), Buddleia and Hosta.

The genus Lilium contains about 100 species of true lilies.  But the common name "lily" has been attached to various trumpet shaped flowers.  These include day lily, peace lily, water lily, calla lily, canna lily and lily of the valley.  

I discovered that my Blackberry Lily is really a Belamcanda chinensis and a member of the iris family.  The magic machine also revealed that my Lily of the Valley actually belongs to the Asparagaceae (asparagus) family.  Yes, they both have trumpet shaped flowers.

A list of native Central Oregon lilies is available on the Deschutes Land Trust website.  The List includes:

Spotted Fritillary-common name: spotted mountain bells

Columbia Lily-common names: tiger lily, Oregon lily

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily

Subalpine Mariposa Lily-common name: mountain lily

Queen's Cup-common name: bead lily

Cascade Lily-common name: Washington lily 

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily-common name: green-banded lily

Check https://www.deschuteslandtrust.org for more information.

Many stories surround the history of the white lily some call the Easter Lily, others refer to it as the Madonna Lily.  It has always reflected purity-"being white without and gold within."  The stamens and pistils of the lilies on church altars were removed so they "remained virgin", in spite of Pliny's instructions for making them purple by soaking the bulbs in red wine.

In Ancient Rome the bulb was considered medicinal and ground to form poultice for wounds and sores.  Roman legions are reputed to have grown it near roadsides for the benefit of foot weary soldiers. 

We still have white "Easter" lilies and florists remove the stamens, partly, they claim, to prevent pollen making a mess and partly to make the gelded blooms last longer.  Then we get to the truth.  Our "Easter Lily", although white, is not the true Madonna lily but one of the Oriental lilies introduced in the nineteenth century.

Soon the potted Easter Lilies will be available at garden centers and you can enjoy them knowing a little history.