'Lilium auratum var. pictum'
A rare and extremely beautiful variant of L. auratum, Pictum is rarely seen in the garden. Practically lost to commerce due to its demanding conditions of perfect moisture in the soil, as with the variant dwarf Pictum, it divides at a very small bulb size and is prone to basal rot in the garden. When a retail customer opens a purchase of lilies and finds a hazel nut size bulb in among tangerine size bulbs, they feel they got shorted not realizing that genetics are just that, genetics.
Pontus Wallstén of Switzerland noted that this stem with its three flowers came from a size 12/14 cms. bulb. Bulbs of the dwarf pictum were known to produce from size 5/6 cms. bulbs (the size of a small marble). As a group, all of the variants of L. auratum have an unsurpassed beauty that is unmatched by anything created by man.
Title photo copyright Pontus Wallstén of Switzerland. Used with permission. Pontus has an excellent book titled 'The Lily Species and their bulbs' and he can be contacted by email at pontus.wallsten@bluewin.ch for more information. He also offers some rare species lilies in limited quantities that are shipped from his nursery in Switzerland.
Photo inset #1 is of a variety of L. auratum var. pictum as grown by Edgar Kline. This photo from Bill and Mary Hoffman was taken around 1950 and has faded with age.
Photo insert #2 is that of a hybrid of created by Johan Mak, or Oregon. Unfortunately it never made it into field production due to the tendency of the bulbs to rot during the winter months, a trait carried over from the species that even the best hybridizers in the world have not overcome.
Pontus Wallstén of Switzerland noted that this stem with its three flowers came from a size 12/14 cms. bulb. Bulbs of the dwarf pictum were known to produce from size 5/6 cms. bulbs (the size of a small marble). As a group, all of the variants of L. auratum have an unsurpassed beauty that is unmatched by anything created by man.
Title photo copyright Pontus Wallstén of Switzerland. Used with permission. Pontus has an excellent book titled 'The Lily Species and their bulbs' and he can be contacted by email at pontus.wallsten@bluewin.ch for more information. He also offers some rare species lilies in limited quantities that are shipped from his nursery in Switzerland.
Photo inset #1 is of a variety of L. auratum var. pictum as grown by Edgar Kline. This photo from Bill and Mary Hoffman was taken around 1950 and has faded with age.
Photo insert #2 is that of a hybrid of
