“What’s Up Tiger Lily?”
It all began on July 8th, when Ronald in Burlington County New Jersey wrote: “My wife and I have been noticing pods hanging on the sides of some of our tiger lilies. We have tried to ‘search’ them on the web to no avail. Might you or your community know what they are?”
I studied the photos that Ronald sent and searched the Net high and low, but could not figure out what they are. I suggested they might be some sort of insect egg nest (because the plants were unharmed and healthy) or the kind of ‘gall’ that wasps induce on oak trees, whose black liquid inside was used for ink in the early Americas. Then I shined The Garden Signal on the conveniently located clouds above the Bat Cave and asked all of youse for help.
The Cascade of Corrections began on July 25—the first day we aired the original call. Beverly Phillips, a former Lehigh County Master Gardener living in neighboring Allentown PA, immediately wrote to the station:
“Mike’s first caller today spoke about strange black objects on his Tiger Lily stalks, whose proper genus name is Lilium. This is different from ‘regular’ Daylilies, whose Latin name is Hemerocallis. (Hem er oh-callis)
“The black objects are Bulbils, natural formations that disperse themselves and grow into more Tiger Lilies. They are a means of reproduction, not an insect, disease, or other nefarious attacker.”
The {quote} “Gates Residence” followed with a photo showing pods that definitely resembled the original photo, adding {quote} “those balls are called SEEDS” {unquote}, using all caps for the word ‘seeds’ in case I was hard of hearing.
Stone Post Gardens, a plant supplier that specializes in these flowers, addresses the seed question nicely in a Q & A on their website.
Question: “Are bulbils seeds? Answer: “No; bulbils contain no seeds. They act as mini “bulbs” that can grow new cloned plants vegetatively. Question: “Do you need bulbils and seeds to get new plants?” Answer: “No; just bulbils. Tiger lily seeds in pods are another way they reproduce.” (Thanks to Linda K for that link.)
Then Randy sent us a Gmail showing three photos from his garden; but his bulbils look nothing like our listener’s photos. His are brown and uneven and attached to the leaves. The ones in our original mystery photo are smooth, black and mostly on the stems.
Judy S. in State College PA sent us a link to “the Lily Pad Bulb Farm” that explains the stem vs. leaf axil topic: “an heirloom favorite, commonly known as the "Tiger Lily", produces a big crop of stem "bulblets" every year and aerial bulbils that resemble black beads thickly arranged along the stem.”
Terry L in Thompson, OH wrote in favor of my “black jellybean” description: “The things on a tiger lily turn shiny and black and eventually fall off the plant to the ground, where they grow into new tiger lilies.”
Adds James M: I was just listening to your caller describing the black jellybeans on his tiger lilies. They’re bulbils (also called stem bulblets) — tiny, black, seed-like mini-bulbs that form in the leaf axils of tiger lilies. They start to fall off as summer progresses, just like he described.”
Apologies to the many other listeners who contacted us about this issue, but we couldn’t run all your names or there wouldn’t be room for anything else!
Back to the North Carolina Extension website, who warn that {quote} “the bulbils are produced in profusion, and this lily can become weedy.
“The bulbils are the easiest way to propagate this species, but they also help it to spread aggressively”, they note, urging gardeners to {quote} “consider planting other lilies, such as the Asiatic Hybrids, that do not produce bulbils.”
This is another case where ‘invasive’ is a matter of opinion. I have had a family of tiger lilies return every summer in the woods across from our home and they don’t seem to multiply. Just return. In addition, their vivid color in July is a welcome sight after the flowers of Spring bloomers have faded; and the dried lily flowers are an essential component of traditional hot and sour soup (just don’t eat the flowers raw; only cooked).
We now end with (believe it or not) an actual question!
Q: A couple of years ago, Barbara in Essex, Maryland (which, she notes, is near Baltimore) wrote: “I will be moving soon and want to take some of my beloved tiger lilies with me. Alas, it is now November and I won't be able to plant the bulbs until spring. Can I dig the bulbs up now and store them until spring? And what is your best suggestion for storage (soil or no soil)?
A. The absolute best answer would be to collect any bulbils that have dropped off the plants and store them in a cool dry spot packed in VERY SLIGHTLY MOIST perlite or milled peat moss. I repeat: SLIGHTLY MOIST! Otherwise, dig up the underground bulbs after your first LIGHT frost, brush off the dirt (do NOT wash them) and store as above.
(As to the title of today’s masterpiece, I quote Wikipedia: “What’s Up Tiger Lily?” is a 1966 comedy by Woody Allen that overdubbed a Japanese spy movie with new dialogue. The film follows a secret agent's quest for the world's best egg salad.”)
And THAT, as they say, is the ever-loving end.
