Lilium Golden Splendor - Asiatic Lily

Lilium 'Golden Splendor' trumpet lily is a very beautiful, floriferous and reliable variety with large, golden-yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with varying shades of burgundy red on the reverse in summer. Its flowering exhales an intoxicating and heady scent, especially in the evening. Easy to grow, reliable, and faithfully flowering like its cousin the royal lily, it is superb in flower beds or even a large rockery. Of course, its flowers make magnificent cut flowers.

Lilium 'Golden Splendor' was awarded the Gold Palm of the plant world in 2002 (A.G.M) in England. This distinction rewards not only the ornamental qualities of a plant but also its ease of cultivation and performance in the garden. Due to some variability in flower colour, this seed-derived selection is now sold under the name 'Golden Splendor Group'. It is a deciduous bulbous plant with narrow and very vertical tufted foliage from spring onwards. It belongs to the Lily family and is a hybrid obtained through cross-breeding with the Royal Lily, native to Western China. This plant will reach about 1.20m (4ft) high when in bloom, and the clump will spread indefinitely over time, with bulbs producing bulblets through vegetative multiplication. In June-July, trumpet flowers appear in umbels at the top of leafy stems. Each stem carries 12 to 20 flowers, on a mature plant. Each flower forms a trumpet that can measure up to 15cm (6in) wide, facing outwards. The flowers display different shades of yellow with variable brown to red stripes on the reverse of the petals. The stems are very strong, almost unbreakable. The dark green, shiny leaves are lanceolate.

This lily prefers light and well-drained, neutral to chalky soil and does not like overly acidic or compact soils. You can grow it with perennial plants such as peonies, delphiniums, or daylilies, but also small bushes, as it likes having its base in the shade. These companions will also help prevent the stems from tipping over in the wind. Lilies are is ideal for borders and, of course, for cut flowers. This 'Golden Splendor' variety brings colour and contrast in summer. It can also be grown in pots, but its flowers will be slightly smaller.