I've tried a few 'fragrant' asiatics but the 'scent' is nothing to write home about so I'm still hunting and am going to try Amarone and Donau next year, on recommendations from gwebbers who have grown them. An early Oriental is Rosario which was blooming right along with the asiatics. I have some trumpets and opets in bright shade (under maple and cedar) that bloom fine but they do the 'forward bend' and I do have to stake them.

If you want fragrance - I mean, heady fragrance, get orientals. They bloom later, but they are worth it.

A lot of the species lilies (early blooming, not formosanum; it blooms in late summer-fall), are fragrant as well - the trumpets I mean.

A good site for lilies is The Lily Garden (www.lilygarden.com). You can check out bloom times, fragrance, etc. Their lilies are expensive, but I have heard they have really good bulbs. I want to get 'Silk Road'. It is a beautiful dark pink and white one.

Susan

Hi Susan,
I have orientals and some trumpets (which bloom a little before the orientals). I also have an LO hybrid "Elegant Lady" which blooms before either of those. But none of these bloom as early as the asiatics. I planted an early species lily, L. Pumilum, last Fall but they didn't bloom this year so I'll have to wait 'til next spring to check out their bloom time and fragrance. I got one of my trumpet lilies (L. Leucanthum) from The Lily Garden. Trumpet lilies have large bulbs in general, but even so, these were very nice looking (large and healthy). They also threw in a complimentary bulb of "White Henryi". It came up this year and looked beautiful. It also has a reputation of being indestructible. Perfect for me! While I knew about their complementary bulb policy I was impressed that this also extended to their seed and I received a package of trumpet lily seed with my seed order. I don't mind expensive when it comes with really good quality product and really good service.
-Helen
(And yes, Silk Road is a beautiful lily!)

Oriental 'Mona Lisa' is early bloomer. It blooms at the same time as asiatics.

I let my 6 year old grandson pick out a lily he liked in the spring to order, and he picked out White Stargazer. I ordered 50 of them, and we planted together. We were putting them in a bed that is part sun to almost full shade. He went back into the shade more than I would have liked, but I didn't discourage him. Every one bloomed and they were absolutely spectacular, fragrance and beauty. Everyone wanted a bouquet so he cut bouquets for all, so I will probably have to replant next year, but what a gorgeous flower (and what fun we had!). Polly

Donau is a real producer also. You will have lots of them in just a short while. The scent on Donau or Amarone is not heavy like a trumpet or orienpet. It is faint. I say plant lots of lilies and altogether they make a wonderful smell. I have hundreds of lilies and the yard always smells good.

Climate, temperature and weather conditions must have an effect on scent in the garden, so plants that are highly (or faintly) perfumed in one region could be totally different in another.

I grew 'Amarone' for the first time, this summer. There were 9 bulbs in the bag and, although I didn't count the stems, I believe they all grew. While tyshee is right about the fragrance being lighter than that of some other lilies, I wouldn't classify the scent on my 'Amarone' as faint. When I bought them, I didn't know they were a scented lily; it was only after they bloomed that I realized they had a sweet fragrance, which I prefer to the headier orientals.

I like your "plant lots of lilies" idea Tyshee. As long as they have some scent - that would work. Unfortunately I have a very small yard with lots of shade. (Only a few good lily growing spots.) So I can't grow as many as I'd like. One lily I'm planting this Fall is Lilium cernuum. Its a species lily that blooms in June and is listed as having a scent. Anyone else have this lily?
-Helen

I would plant trumpets for scent. Just one lily smells a big area. They are the best or plant silk road.