Closer ties with Botanical Gardens

In December 2013 the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and the New Zealand Lily Society signed an agreement to co-operate in promoting the genus Lilium in the Gardens.

Our first priority is to enhance the Garden's collection of species lilies (or 'wild' lilies).

We have received many generous donations of seed from overseas, and these seeds are now being raised by Society members.

This agreement represents a very exciting opportunity for the Society to help establish a significant collection of Lilium species in an ideal location. The Gardens has a wide range of habitats, including leaf mould sheltered by very tall trees, which suits so many lilies and is hard to provide in a suburban garden. The publicly-owned institution of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens will maintain and protect the collection over time. The local soils and climate are the envy of gardeners worldwide, and it should be possible to culticate almost any lily in the Gardens.