Exactly what are these things?

I have some liliums that have these ball looking things appearing where the foliage meets the stem.... Here's a picture that shows what I mean. What are they?

They have a name, which escapes me at the moment, but essentially they are little clones of that bulb. Wait for the plant to mature a bit and you can plant them, very shallow in the ground, and you will have a flowering bulb in a few years.

Exactly when is the plant mature. I figured it was mature when it bloomed... am I right or is there something else?

Thanks,
Donna

Sometimes those baby bulbs on the leaf axil will show almost a little baby root, so I wait for a little while to see if that happens. If it does, I will remove the bulbil (that's the word I was trying to remember) and gently push it into the soil, not too far down , but just so it is covered. If I don't see roots and I have waited a while, I still plant them out. Or you can place them in a pot and grow them that way.

Does that help? If you liked that lily, you could have many more in years to come, or share them with friends.

This message was edited May 17, 2008 8:12 PM

That's what I'd like to do... share them. How long after the root shows do you have to plant them? I'd like to mail them to my dad.

Thanks,
Donna

If you pull them off soon after you see that root show, pack them in peat moss in a ziploc with a few puncture holes in the bag for the trip to your Dad's via mail and he gets to them planted within a couple of days from receipt, they should be totally fine.

Cool!! I'm limited on bulbs, but I do so want him to have some as well. He's big on daylilies and I'm trying to get him to have more than just daylilies in his yard.

Donna

Lilies are the perfect addition. They don't take up much space either. Enjoy!

Yeah, I know!!! I've been growing them for a few years now. I've seen some with those little round things, some without. I have no idea what the definitive thing is in if they will produce them or not. I've always had good luck with all the varieties (asiatic, oriental and hybrids). I find them very easy to maintain. I just wish they bloomed more!! But who doesn't right?

I have on occasion had to move some... and I always get stragglers, babies, growing where I moved the others from. A scale or whatever must have fallen off when I dug them up and low and behold, it made a little plant!

I also know that some produce seed, which is a big thing for me. I love to grow from seed as you get to watch it through every single stage. It much more "intimate" (for lack of a better word).

I've collected for some time now. And with joining a few co-ops... I have quite a collection going. I hope to be able to trade some bulbs out in a year or so.

Donna

Magnolia,

That's great news - that the lilies are reproducing. I know that I've seen these in the past, and have worried that it might be some type of deformity. Now I will be watching them closely as well.

Many tiger lilies will do this and last year I saw it on a L. langkognese, so I planted them all up in pots and they seem to be growing well still, almost a year later.

Glad to help ;)

Glad I check in here. Mine has those. I just thought they were seeds. I am going to look for roots now.

Dear donna they are bulblits that will grow if planted in moist soil.

Wait until the foliage on the main plant starts to wither and turn brown, then plant them in some very fine, small partcle-sized seed starting mix about a centimeter under moistened soil in a shallow flat. Keeo them in a cool spot safe from frost until the next spring and plant in larger pots or even in a well drained well kept bed under filtered shade in the afternoon and watch them thrive. A great way to spread out a plant you really like. Best of luck.