Anyone know what's happend?

I bought 3 lillies at gardeners world last year they flowerd in september, but can anyone tell me whats happend as they were yellow.

 

This may be due to the type of soil they are planted in.

Were there any specific instructions re planting ?

 

I have been through all our books on Lilies and there is no mention of anything about them changing colour. Acid loving ones can get chlorotic in limey soil, but that usually shows in yellow leaves rather than washed out coloured flowers. The major two viruses which attack lilies are very common, but one causes the plant to become stunted and die out. Now the other may be what you have (guess and a BIG guess) is similar to the virus which causes Fireblight in Tulips. However usually what you get is striped and streaked flowers rather than as yours where the colour is lost. I will keep looking.

 

Been having another look and there is mention of yellow flowered lilies fading to pink as the flowers age. Did yours open yellow and fade rather quickly?

 

All the lillie are still in the same pots as last year with compost. Can't remember if they faded last year, but they were a loverly yellow!
Thanks for the info!

 

Looking at the buds, they look like theyre natural colour. A cynical part of my mind is saying were these made yellow for the show, and have now reverted to the normal colour.

 

I have lillies that have changed colour, I grow loads of them, but mine are much older. One theory is that the bulbs cross polinate, the parent bulbs die and their off springare a mixture of both colours - this could be what has happened to mine, but I don't think this fits your case. I also have tulips that change colour.

 

From whom did you purchase the said bulbs? It would be interesting to hear if they have any comments on this phenomenen.

 

In 1660 Robert Sharock, a Fellow of New College Oxford, wrote a book on this very subject - transmutation. Back then, in a time when people still believed that base metal could be transformed into gold, the general belief was also that a Lily could turn into a Crocus or into a Gladiolus, and there were those who testified that this had happened.

I think you have got off rather lightly. :D

[ 15. July 2007, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: PeterS ]

 

Gosh Peter you are reading some funny books these days, I should stick to Christopher Lloyd!

 

Palustris I'm sorry can't remember which stall I bought the bulbs off.
Waco that theory sound reasonable, but like you say these are only in there second flowering stage. There is only 1 stem witch the flowers are on.
PeterS your theory is a bit too deep for me sorry.
:eek:

 

Strange thing this, I bought some lilly bulbs probably ten years ago or so now, and they all seem to have reverted to orange.
I'm left with just a couple of very weak growers of white and yellow and the rest are orange.
Thought I was going mad till I read mef's post.

 

Pete I thought I would show you mine as you has shown me yours!





Funny but I divided this clump last year, and where I have replanted them they have reverted to pink.