A new North American lily variety trial is set to generate valuable data on how European lily cultivars perform under a wide range of growing conditions. The initiative is a collaboration between the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) and Flowerbulb.eu, bringing together 20 commercial cut flower growers across the continent to evaluate 10 lily varieties throughout the 2026 growing season.

The trial aims to identify which cultivars perform best under North American production conditions while providing breeders with practical feedback from commercial growers. Results will be analyzed by Dr. John Dole of North Carolina State University and published in The Cut Flower Quarterly in 2027.

Encouraging more growers to produce lilies
According to Bridget Langan of Garden Media Group, representing Flowerbulb.eu, the project is designed to encourage more specialty cut flower growers to include lilies in their production. "The main goal of the trial is to encourage more flower farmers to grow cut lilies by giving them hands-on experience with a range of varieties and sharing real-world results from across North America," she explains. "Through our partnership with ASCFG, we're helping growers see how lilies perform in different growing conditions while providing education and resources, including the Lily Master Class, to build confidence in adding lilies to their crop list. Ultimately, we want to showcase lilies as a high-impact, profitable specialty cut flower that deserves a place on more farms."

A diverse selection of varieties
To provide a broad comparison, the trial includes 10 commercially relevant European lily cultivars. "The varieties were selected to provide growers with a diverse mix of commercially relevant cut lilies," Bridget says. "The trial includes both Asiatic and LA Hybrid lilies, representing a range of colors, bloom forms, and growing characteristics. The goal was to give growers the opportunity to evaluate varieties with strong cut-flower potential and identify those that perform best across different regional and growing conditions."

Testing under real-world conditions
For ASCFG Executive Director Steven Crone, testing varieties under commercial North American conditions is essential because performance can vary significantly between regions. "A variety that excels in the Netherlands won't necessarily perform the same way in a Texas field, an Oregon high tunnel, or a Michigan greenhouse," he says. "Day length, heat, humidity, and growing methods all vary tremendously across our continent. Getting performance data from actual commercial growers (not just research stations) gives breeders and growers alike a much clearer picture of what to expect."

The participating growers are central to the project's value. The 20 growers represent a wide range of USDA climate zones and production systems, including field production, raised beds, high tunnels, and greenhouses. "Our ASCFG trialers are experienced commercial cut flower growers spanning USDA zones, from the Carolinas to California, growing in fields, raised beds, high tunnels, and greenhouses. They're the ones actually planting, harvesting, selling, and evaluating these lilies in real working conditions. That diversity and hands-on commercial experience is what makes the data especially useful; it's what actually happens on a working flower farm."

What will be evaluated?
The trial officially began with bulb shipments in mid-March 2026, followed by planting through April. Growers will evaluate the lilies throughout the summer, with final assessments due by mid-October.

Several characteristics will be assessed during the trial, with commercial performance taking center stage. "Market appreciation is the big one: would customers actually buy it?" Steven explains. "Beyond that, we're looking at ease of cultivation, stem length, vase life, and whether the grower would plant it again. That 'grow again' question is often the most honest indicator of all. It cuts through everything else and asks, bottom line, was this worth my investment of time, money, and space?"

Those evaluation criteria closely reflect what growers are currently seeking in cut lily varieties. According to Steven, "Reliability and productivity, strong stem length, and consistent quality across a range of growing conditions. Vase life is huge for retail and wholesale relationships. And increasingly, growers want options beyond the classic fragrant varieties. Customers are asking for upward-facing, less fragrant varieties too."

Benefits for breeders and growers
The findings will also provide valuable information for lily breeders. "They get unfiltered, real-world performance data from commercial growers across an enormous range of climates and production systems. This is information that's very hard to get any other way," Steven says. "They'll also get direct insight into which characteristics matter most to North American growers and customers, which can help guide future breeding priorities for this market."

Looking ahead to the publication of the results in 2027, Steven hopes the trial will become a practical decision-making tool for both growers and breeders. "I'm hoping growers walk away with a clear, honest picture of which varieties truly excel in North American conditions, and where," he says. "Dr. John Dole's analysis will give us not just averages, but the full range of results, so growers in different regions can see how a variety performed for someone in a similar climate to theirs. Ultimately, we want this to help growers make smarter purchasing decisions and help breeders understand this market better."
 

Source: www.floraldaily.com