Hi Salpal! Isn't Sweet Lilian the sweetest? I wish it would perform better and put up a healthier/taller scapes. Mine, also from WWF, is doing exactly the same as yours. I wonder if this is normal to this variety. I won't be surprised with XStar X SL failing. I have never had XStar set seeds no matter what pollens I use both dips and tets!

Jodik...Did your Sweet Lilian also had short scapes? And did you get any success in it's pollination?

My SL's first scape was just 6" tall with 2 flowers pollinated with Trentino and Lovely Garden. They are still ok so far. I just didn't feel that this is a diploid. I will be more adventurous in the other flowers and use some diploid pollens. I want to keep it's pretty pink color though or at least in that color scheme. Pink Floyd, Striped Panther and Night Star would be good candidates.

"Stunted beauties"...San Miguel and Sweet Lilian
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I absolutely adore Sweet Lilian! It was my first bulb to bloom this past season, and I just fell in love with it... it bloomed prolifically, and had such lovely coloring and shape. How could you not love this pink wonder? Unfortunately, every pod that began swelling aborted. I didn't get any seeds from Sweet Lilian this past season, but I'm hopeful of better results next time.

This was my Sweet Lilian, Amalfi in the background...
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Salpal, yours looks a bit darker in color than mine, but that could be due to any number of environmental differences... it's a keeper, though, isn't it?!

sweet lilian is another one that i need to add to my wish list. i like the white stripes on the petals.

My Sweet Lillian is finely showing a bud. IT has been the slowest bulb of all to get moving! I got mine from WFF too. We will have to compare the color of mine to SalPal and Jodi's! I Am so looking forward to seeing this one!

Maria it is sweet. I think it looks so messy tho with that short scape and I'm not cutting anything yet. The color is NICE if you like cool pinks. I hope it may do better next year when more established? (with better roots) Jodi I love the pic of yours, how many flowers did it have/scape? I guess I saw it (in WFF?) in the cybister section and assumed diploid based on that- I may use some Xstar pollen on that last scape instead of selfing- I recall Jodi said hers didn't self and I do have some fresh Xstar. Maria- have you any luck with Xstar pollens on anything? I know you seemed to think it is ungainly for 2-3 flowers/scape and I DO have mine in a huge pot, but I adore the flowers on it. I have trumpets coming and last years ruby meyer with a scape(YEAH!!!)I'm trying to decide what to cross with what.(only so many scapes to choose from doggone it!)

Salpal - I can't remember exactly how many blooms per scape, but I think it was about 4 or 5, judging from my photos. The scapes didn't seem that short... although, when compared to some of the larger flowered hybrids, I guess they might have been... I was so taken by the blooms that I didn't really notice that the scapes were short! I tried a few crosses and self-pollination, and everything aborted. Perhaps I'll have better luck next time it blooms... I bought the bulb locally, but I think it might be a Hadeco registered variety...

It is not listed on Hadeco's site as their registered variety and they are not hybridizing cybister varieties as I see.
I've got a bulb from Jodi this fall and my Sweet Lillian bloomed perfectly with normal scape height to a small flowering variety. It did not take any pollen for me either. Now, it is out in the amaryllis bed, preparing for next season's blooms.

I adore Sweet Lillian!

Please do keep posting pics... I don't seem to be able to see enough of that one!

Thanks!

it seems like most of the Sweet Lillian that came from WWF are not performing to good (short scapes). Jodi and Soultan purchased their SL early in the season and from another source. Some varieties are like these...sensitive to long storage. Lets hope for better performance next season.

Salpal...NADA!!! I had no pollination success from XStar both ways. Please don't get me wrong with XStar. It is beautiful! And my XStar gave me 2 blooms last season. But... my heart belongs to the "little ones".

I might as well post pics while my Photobucket is open.

I prefer Giraffe (right) and Rio Negro(left) over XStar.
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Talking about trumpets, here's Pink Floyd(2 sweet smelling flowers/scape) and Striped Panther (what a performer, still in bloom right now with it's second scape, 6 flowers/scape) The bedroom is smelling so good with this two blooming.
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And for elizabeth, more pics of Sweet Lillian...
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I could have sworn I saw it on Hadeco's website... maybe I'm thinking of another website... in any case, it's a real beauty! I just loved the pink stripes, and the fact that it gave three full scapes of wonderful blooms!

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Sweet Lillian was my first this season and she's beautiful! =) Does anyone else see a resemblance between Sweet Lillian and Striped Panther/Magic Green? Or maybe I'm just imagining lol. The flower color/shape resembles Striped Panther in a slight way to me (Sweet Lillian has a slight, very soft fragrance -- very barely noticeable) and her stalks are reddish-brown like the stalks I had on my Magic Green last season. =) I was hoping to stall my hippies till Thanksgiving but I have many many more on the way so I let Mother Nature do what was natural. Enjoy! =)

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Hey Sal!! I was checking out the seedlings from you the other day and was wondering how you have been doing! Sweet Lil is very pretty. My Magic Green did have a bit of a color to the stems. The flower shape is quite similar to Lil but the color pattern is quite different. I really enjoyed Magic Green.

MagGrn
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Thanks for bringing this post back to life. Sweet Lillian is gorgeous!!!! I want one! Kitty

My Sweet Lilian of last year was the prettiest flower! I just loved it! I think anyone who gets one won't be sorry! It's a definite beauty!

Very nice, Pax! Yours is the very slightest bit different than mine... like from a different clone, or something. It sure is a beauty, though!

Cindee, that Magic Green is awesome, too! They do look closely related, and they probably are! When you think about it, all hybrids are related in some way... I think it's amazing how different they can be, actually!

Kitty, you'd love it! I recommend Sweet Lilian highly!

Good growing, gals! More! More! I want to see more! :-)

OK....would someone define the source, abbreviated WWF?? Pretty sure it's not the World Wildlife Fund (but maybe they sell bulbs and I don't know that)! :-)
Thanks,
Kristi

Kristi,

The source is White Flower Farm (WFF instead of WWF).

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Lillian

Thanks Blancwing!! That's what I thought, but the WW (vs WF) threw me!
:-)
K

Now that's funny! I swear I said WFF... Wow, we really ended up with alot of sweet lillian pics. At a local nursery here I saw HUGE sweet lillian bulbs, much bigger than the one I recieved last year. I was not allowed another unfortunately. That big bulb did make me wonder if it isn't another tetraploid hybrid. If mine blooms this winter ( its still small and bloomed again this summer)I think I'll cross it with some of those. Cindee- Hi! I'm glad your seedlings are growing! Yay!
Sally

I never did get a flower off of Sweet Lillian last year. I think the one I thought was coming turned out to be a switched label. I am hoping that it is Sweet Lillian that has made a whole klister over the summer and that it will all bloom for me this year!

I hope mine blooms for me this coming spring! I would love to see her beauty again!

I was just going through some photos in my PhotoBucket album, and I happened upon Sweet Lilian again... she's really one of my favorites!

I stumbled upon this variety with the link posted by paxfleur earlier this month, of the Taiwanese Amaryllis photo gallery. I had to get it, as my favorite grandmother was named Lillian.

I found it available for Fall Pre-order at half off, at American Meadows ($13). I've not heard of this company before, but I'm giving them a try.

It's great to see so many of you that have had success with this variety.

Google is a wonderful thing!!

Here is a link that might be useful: American Meadows