Lilium African Queen - Lily

African Queen trumpet lily is a robust variety with beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers in summer. The orange gradient ranges from dark yellow to apricot. Not only are they beautiful, but they also emit an intoxicating and heady fragrance. Easy to grow, reliable, and faithfully blooming like its parent, this lily, it is perfect in borders or even in large rock gardens. Great for cut flowers.

'African Queen' is a deciduous bulbous plant forming a narrow and upright clump from spring onwards. It belongs to the Liliaceae family. It is a hybrid obtained by cross-breeding the Royal Lily, native to Western China. This plant will reach a height of 120 cm (47in) when in bloom, and the clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the bulbs producing bulblets through vegetative multiplication. In June-July, clusters of orange to copper-coloured trumpets with a sumptuous fragrance appear. The stems are very sturdy, almost unbreakable. The lanceolate dark green leaves are glossy. This species forms roots on the underground part of the stems and produces numerous aerial bulblets in the axils of the leaves.

This Lily prefers humus-rich soil and does not like chalky, poorly drained, and heavy soil. You can plant it with perennial plants as it prefers to have its feet in the shade. The perennials will help prevent the stems from bending in the wind. This lily is ideal for borders and, of course, for bouquets.