May Flowers: Casablanca Lilies

Scientific Classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Liliaceae
Genus:	Lilium

The Casablanca Lily is an associate of the Lilium family under the classification of an Oriental lily, among the Black Beauty, Yellow Ribbons and Stargazer cultivars. This brilliant white Casablanca cultivar is a much loved flower. Many people consider it as a symbol of purity, and as such  these  lilies  hold  a special place in  wedding receptions. Since its beauty  attracts many animals and pets,  you must  protect the flowers against their pranks.
Anatomy

The Casablanca lily has untainted white petals consisting of long filaments with red anthers on   its top. When the flower blooms, the big 8 inch broad petals gracefully curl outwards. The Casablanca lilies grow to a height of 1 to 3 feet into 3 feet wide clusters. In summer, the Casablanca flower emanates from a bulb with a deep fragrance. The flower rests on strong, stout stems of dark green color with long spiky leaves.

How to Cultivate Domestically

Preparation for Planting

Potted Casablanca lilies need watering and fertilizers more often than the ones you plant in the garden.  Fertilize them every spring with a mild-release formula rich in phosphorous. Supply sufficient water to retain the moisture, not to let the soil to dry. Once the summer blooms fade away and the leaves become yellow, you remove the lilies,  cut to their stalks up to ground level  and cover that portion with rich mulch. Mulch protects the bulb all through the winter.

Planting

Plant Casablanca lily bulbs during fall, space them 12 inches apart and 4 to 6 inches deep. Immediately after your purchase, shift the bloomed lily to your pot or garden. While you plant a flowering lily, plant it to a depth just sufficient to cover the existing root balls. Select a place in your garden where the top of the flower gets sunlight and the base of the lily gets the shade. Cover the freshly planted shrubs nicely with a layer of 1 to 2 inches of compost and water.

Placement and Watering

Plant the bulbs sometime before the first frost. Plant the bulbs spacing them at a minimum of 1-foot distance and lay 4 inches of soil on top of them. Plant them in a bit deeper hole so that the roots hold them more firmly. Water the plants properly by hand or by using sprinklers. In case the rainfall is meager during summer, schedule your watering to approximately 1 inch of water a week.

Flowering Period

Casablanca flowers breed perfumed white blossoms towards the end of summer, normally July to August. Casablanca lilies bear the summer heat, which is not the case with many other flowers. If you plant the bulbs with care, in properly drained soil in the fall and spring, the plant starts flowering towards the end of summer to light up your garden, when other flowers are beginning to fade and wilt away.

After-Bloom Care

Casablanca lilies are prone to damage, due to pests or disease. Conduct a routine check for bulb scales that cause the bulbs to dry out. Young shoots springing from the bulbs in spring are very tender, stay away from stepping on them, do your best to avert pets and children from approaching them.

As Cut Flowers

You can market Casablanca lilies as cut flowers and they undergo 5 to 8 blooms. They are typically big, white in color and fragrant. They are ideal as garden flowers or as bouquets. The Casablanca lily plants grow to a height of around 4 feet with each flower measuring 6 to 10 inches in diameter.  Among the Oriental lilies, the Casablanca Lilies have the best fragrance and they are the largest. They last for over a week when placed in vases containing enough water. Systematic planting results in energetic plants and flowers.