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LO Hybrid Lily

Yellow OT Lilies
OT Hybrids are a cross between Oriental lilies and Trumpet lilies. The color palette of the OT’s ranges far beyond the pinks and whites most commonly associated with the Orientals. But these hybrids have a sweet fragrance generally reported to be somewhat milder than Oriental fragrance. Many gardeners know OTs as Orienpet lilies.




LO Lily The LO lily is a cross between the Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum, and Oriental lilies. The new hybrids feature the beautiful fragrance of the Oriental lily flower but in a ¬ongiflorum shape. It’s a whole new look that’s also easier to pack and ship. This factor is significant as it will save producers and wholesalers money, and offer consumers beautiful flowers for less.

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“Lilies have never been more intriguing,” says Frans Roozen, the technical director of the International Flower Bulb Center in Hillegom, the Netherlands. Before the LA hybrids arrived in 1992, the latest things happening were what they called the Mid-Century Hybrids, created by Jan de Graaf in Oregon in the 1950s. These are what we now call the Asiatic varieties.

OT Hybrids

OT Closeup

Next came the OT hybrids. They combine the exquisite shape and fragrance of Oriental lilies and the expanded color range of the Trumpets. The OT group is particularly rich in orange and rust colors. Dutch floral experts predict that the OT hybrids will soon challenge Orientals in popularity. The gardening world also knows OTs as Orienpets. Alongside the LA hybrids OTs are changing the dynamics of the lily niche, for both cut flower production and flower gardening.

LO Hybrids

Pots of lilies What's newest now are the LO hybrids. First seen on the market in late 2006, LO lilies are crosses between the Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum, and Oriental lilies. The new hybrids feature the beautiful fragrance of the Oriental lily flower but in Longiflorum shape. New HybridIt’s a whole new look. These hybrids are highly sought after in Europe.

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LAOT Hybrids?

Lily experts are closely watching the experiments by lily hybridizers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands where the focus is on ambitious four-way crossings of Longiflorum, Asiatic, Oriental and Trumpet lilies. Their goal: to create a new LAOT Hybrid flower form with a mix of vigorous habit, unexpected colors and fragrant upright flowers.

In Holland, such quests for hybridizing floral phenomenon are legendary (consider the black tulip!). What’s happening now in the world of lilies is really a blend of old world skills and new technology. Ninety percent of the new lily crossings are coming out of Holland. The world of Dutch hybridizers is one where mystery and passion meet science head-on in the hybridizer’s search to create something never before seen except in his own imagination.