Lilium 'Red Matrix'

Lilium 'Red Matrix': Fire-Engine Red Up Front

'Red Matrix' takes the red pill and never looks back. True red blooms with a deep orange centre on a very compact stem, ready for any pot or border. THE SIMULATION JUST GOT A LOT MORE COLOURFUL.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Lilium 'Red Matrix' (Asiatic hybrid, Matrix series)
• Common Name: Asiatic Lily
• Height: 30–50 cm (12–20 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Upward-facing, true red with a deep orange centre, several buds per stem
• Bloom Time: Early summer (June to July)
• Foliage: Narrow, glossy green leaves on short, upright stems
• Features: Very compact, good bud count, suits containers, good for cutting

Where to Plant: Use it along the front edge of a sunny bed, in clusters between later-blooming plants, or in a container by the door. Its short, tidy habit makes it easy to slip in front of taller plants. Deer and rabbits love lily buds, so give plants some protection where they visit.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Red Matrix' in a sunny or part-shade bed with a pale yellow peony, amber daylilies and violet spikes. Paeonia 'Claire de Lune' opens pale yellow single peonies at 70 to 90 cm in May and June. Hemerocallis 'Mauna Loa' adds amber-gold daylilies at 55 to 60 cm in July and August. Veronica 'Royal Rembrandt' brings violet-purple spikes at 46 to 51 cm in July and August. Miscanthus 'Purpurascens' rises behind at 120 to 180 cm, turning red-orange in fall.

Plant Care: Choose a spot with full sun to part sun and well-drained soil. Work in compost before planting, and avoid low spots where water sits, especially in clay. Keep the soil evenly moist through the growing season. Remove faded flowers, but let the foliage die back on its own so the bulb can recharge. Cut the stems to the ground in fall. Watch for red lily leaf beetles from early spring and remove them and their larvae by hand. Divide crowded clumps in fall every three or four years. Lilies are toxic to cats, so keep plants and cut stems away from them.

History: Asiatic lilies descend from crosses between several East Asian lily species, and they flower earlier than the more fragrant Oriental types, usually with unscented, upward-facing blooms. 'Red Matrix' is a van Lierop variety in the Matrix Series of Asiatic pot lilies.

Final Thoughts: Short, stacked with buds and great for cutting. Line the front steps with pots and let them do the talking. RED MEANS GO.