Haven't been able to have lilies for many years but now new house and plenty of room. Exploring ways to use lilies in mixed perennial plantings and foliage is just as important as the flower. I used to grow Casa Blanca and a couple of other name-forgotten Orientals that had foliage that was of attractive heavy substance and stayed that way for a long time after the flowers faded. By contrast, Stargazer is an Oriental whose foliage I think looks ratty soon after blooming. Interested in all types of lilies but not crazy about those with a potted "Asiatic" look; they remind me of plastic flowers. Thanks!
Which lilies have long lasting attractive foliage?
Forgot to mention - I'm zone 6b (Asheville NC). Have 3 acres with a range of microclimates and nice loamy soils ranging from dryish to constantly wet.
All the lilies with whorled leaf patterns are tops in my book. The best of them are members of the martagon group:
Lilium martagon
Lilium distichum
Lilium hansonii
Lilium tsingtauense
Lilium medioloides
Of these, Lilium tsingtauense is most interesting, IMO, as it produces ruffly and lightly variegated leaves in the early part of the season. The true species (with upright flowers) is difficult to find, but the natural hybrids of it with L. distichum and/or L. medioloides are more "common". Unfortunately, these natural hybrids still go under the name "L. tsingtauense" in seller's catalogs, and there is no way of knowing what you will get unless there is a pic (and you know that that pic wasn't just taken from somewhere else). Additionally, the hybrids won't guarantee ruffled leaves. But many do, as mine does. Second on the list is the easier to grow and more floriferous L. martagon. Seed pods of the martagon section of lilies are most interesting also, as they are all early flowering lilies.
Other whorled leaf lilies include North American species. L. superbum and L. michiganense are the easiest to grow.
See here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/695580/ for a thread I had on lily foliage.
The pic below is Lilium michiganense. As you can see, I am more of a species lily man, as opposed to all the frilly hybrids on the market (although they are lovely too). You'll just have to take my advice with that consideration in mind.
Foliage of all the LAs (longiflorum x asiatic) plus my Orienpets oriental x trumpet) grow tall & vigorous in my garden.
The stands are impervious to wind or rain and only grow greener in the long hot Iowa summers. The vertical stems are handsome long after the blooms have faded.
