Lilium, Orienpet Lily, Oriental Trumpet Lily 'Black Beauty'

http://umaine.edu/publications/2450e/

Th...Read Moreis is a site for the Maine extension service. Their article lists Black Beauty as one of three that are relatively resistant to the Red Lily Beetle. I've wanted one anyway

This plant is pretty but very dissapointing in the fragrance department (I'm all about fragrance with my lilies...) ... It is quite short...Read More in its first couple of years but takes on a much more stately, elegant shape as it matures. No scent whatsoever (though many sources state it is fragrant) ... I prefer my highly scented and similar colored stargazers ...

'Black Beauty' is a classic lily than everyone should grow. There are a couple of comments I'd like to make though regarding its descrip...Read Moretion and cultivation. It should not be listed as fragrant. If you have an incredibly sensitive nose, you may detect the barest hint of fragrance after nightfall but most people detect nothing. Nor is the color what people tend to think of as fuchsia. Its a deep wine-red with a thin border of white outling the petals and a prominent green nectary. It can easily grow to over 7' tall when provided with optimal cultivation. The bulbs of this lily also divide into multiple "noses" quite quickly and are best lifted, pulled apart and spread out every 3 to 4 years. This is defintely a maintenance issue so be forwarned. However, if you don't care to lift them as often as that, a congested clump of bulbs will produce many, shorter stems with fewer flowers per stem but will make an almost shrub-like impression in the lanscape and will still be very showy. If you want the 7' tall stems with 30-40 buds per stem though, you'll need to divide them often. Also, be aware that the new shoots coming up in the spring (way too early!) are tolerant of only the lightest frost and need protection from hard frost/freezes. One of the best characteristics of this lily is that it needs no staking. Most of the bulbs in commerce are tetraploid and have "beefier" stems as a result. As with all lilies though, they will lean away from anything that casts shadows so try to plant them in an open, exposed area with as much sun as possible.

This is just a note about saving seed from Black Beauty. Fortunately for me, one of the folks (esw) with whom I shared the sterile (unbe...Read Moreknownst to me) seed of this lily was knowledgeable about lilies. She looked up Black Beauty in her McCrae lily book which said that Black Beauty, although sterile in diploid form, has been used to create some gorgeous hybrids when "induced to tetraploidy".

I seem to recall reading that doubling the chromosomes of diploid seed by treating with an extract of colchicine changes them to tetraploid seeds.

To find out more about this process, the DG Lily Forum and the North American Lily Society would be good sources.

Maxine shared with me that one good way to ascertain whether a lily seed is viable or sterile is to hold it up against a bright light. If there's a speck inside, chances are good it's viable. Otherwise, it's just a husk.

Edited to add that I have just been informed that most Black Beauty lilies sold these days are tetraploid, so happy pollinating, everyone. (Thank you mnorberry)

ps - I have horrible woodchuck problems - we trap and relocate them with a Havahart cage, but Woody has his own time schedule and usually takes a few bites of this and that before finally waltzing into Ol' Havahart. But he leaves Black Beauty alone - maybe because it comes up through smelly Ol' Nepeta siberica 'Souvenir d'Andre Chaudron' (spelling?)? Lemon southern (Artemisia abrotanum is another smelly herb with which to mask bulbs susceptible to critters...and lavender...etc.