Courtesy of Flower Council of Holland

Tips overview

Flower of the Month

Lily care tips

Courtesy of Flower Council of Holland

This month the majestic lily takes the spotlight. A versatile flower with a powerful scent. It’s pollen however can be easily knocked off onto clothing or furniture for example and cause nasty stains. Follow our tips on how to best to remove these stains. 

Origin of the lily

Lilies are not only varied in terms of colour, shape and size, but also in where they come from. You can find them growing wild in Korea, Japan and parts of Siberia, but also close to the equator in India. In Europe the lily is native to the Caucasus, the Balkans, Greece, Poland, the Alps and Pyrenees. It also grows wild in most American states, with the exception of the south-west part of the United States. The lily is quite the traveller!  

The lily’s colours and shapes

Their tall stems adorned with multiple flowers create a striking display in various colours, shapes and sizes, wither as a mono bouquet, or mixed with other flowers. From serene white and calm pink to dramatic red, yellow, purple and orange and with stripes, fringes or spots. There are single and double flowered lilies, and even varieties without pollen, ideal for cat owners, hayfever sufferers, bridal bouquets and for people with all-white interiors! The flowers can have a diameter ranging from 7cm up to an astonishing 25cm! Some also have very stretched calyxes. 

(above information and published images courtesy of The Flower Council of Holland)

Care tips for the florist

Of course you want your customers to enjoy their lilies as long as possible, therefore standard care and conditioning practices should apply.

Always use

  • Clean tools
  • Clean vases and buckets
  • A fresh solution of Chrysal Professional 2. Chrysal Professional 2 is a conditioning product which contains just enough nutrients to keep the lilies beautiful without over developing them whilst in your shop
  • Remove packaging, re-cut stems and remove all lower foliage which would otherwise sit under the water; doing this will reduce the development of bacteria and aid longer vase life

Care tips for consumers

Give your customers a sachet of Chrysal Bulbusos with every bouquet of lilies they buy. If this isn't easily available, Chrysal Universal will also make your buds and blooms open and last up to 60% longer than water alone.  

  • Always use a clean vase (do not use metal or antique crystal vases) and fresh COLD tap water
  • Add flower food: following the instruction on the back of the pack regarding volume of water
  • Cut at least 2 cm off the stem; 5-10 cm is better
  • Cut the stems with a sharp, clean knife or secateurs at an angle to prevent damaging and flattening of the stem
  • Remove lower leaves which otherwise will be in the vase water, but don’t remove the thorns
  • Be careful where you place your bouquet: flowers don’t like draughts, direct sunlight, proximity to a heater, smoke and the gasses of ripening fruits!
  • Top up with fresh water and the same flower food when the water has decreased to about 1/3 of the height of the vase
  • Enjoy your flowers!
  • Watch our 5 step care tips film here