Tiger Lily

I love it when Lilium lancifolium 'Supebum' starts to colour up in late August every year, and will point it out to anyone who is interested, and frankly anyone who isn't, cos hey, it's too good not to show off.

It's not a fancy hybrid, it isn't scented, and it ain't rare, but it's a good 'dooer'

So, here it is, firstly in bud.

Looking like so many little hanging orangeish chillies, starting almost red at the base and getting progressively lighter towards the tip and contrasting nicely with the dark slightly pubescent stems.

When the buds open they're pretty much an 'in yer face' orange, so I grow it with plenty of green around to provide a bit of relief, but it'd look cool with some more zingy colours too.

It's a prolific spreader via the load of bulbils that it produces in its leaf axils. I try to remove them before they detach and drop to the ground nowadays as I've more than enough of it at this stage. They fall and grow around the base of the plant so it's not going to spread all over the garden but just be aware so that you're not over run! 

It's an Asiatic, so like most of the rest is pretty easy to grow, and pretty hardy to cold. For those of you who gauge how cold a plant can get before deciding to cark it using the USDA system I've seen Zone 3a quoted, which it a pretty chilly -39.9C or -40C. That's damned cold. (Incidentally, how on earth do I do the little degrees sign, you know, that little circle between the temperature and the C or F?)

Bought as one bulb, three, possibly four years ago it has quickly increased to something like seven six foot high flowering stems.  

Incidentally, does anyone have any idea why they're commonly known as Tiger Lilies? Cos Tigers have stripes, not spots.