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You can cross pollinate lilies by transferring pollen from the stamen of one flower to the stigma of another, and this is the only way to create new hybrid varieties.
If you’ve ever wondered how to cross pollinate lilies to breed your own unique colors and patterns, the process is actually quite simple once you understand the flower’s anatomy.
Cross pollinating lilies is a rewarding gardening project that lets you play plant breeder in your own backyard, and you don’t need any fancy equipment to get started.
In this post, we’ll walk through exactly how to cross pollinate lilies step by step, the tools you’ll need, and the secrets to successful seed production.
Let’s dig into the fascinating world of lily hybridizing.
How to Cross Pollinate Lilies: The Basics You Need to Know
Before you grab your garden tools, it helps to understand that how to cross pollinate lilies starts with identifying the reproductive parts of the flower.
Each lily flower has a central pistil (the female part) tipped with a sticky stigma, and six stamens (the male parts) covered in pollen.
The goal is to move pollen from the anther (the top of the stamen) of one lily variety onto the stigma of a different lily variety.
This simple transfer is the heart of how to cross pollinate lilies, and it triggers the flower to produce seeds that carry traits from both parent plants.
Timing is critical too, so make sure the female flower’s stigma is receptive, which usually happens a day or two after the flower opens.
1. Gather Your Pollination Tools
To successfully cross pollinate lilies, you’ll need a few household items that make the job clean and precise.
A fine artist’s brush or a cotton swab works perfectly for collecting and transferring tiny pollen grains.
You’ll also want small paper bags or twist ties to isolate the flowers and prevent accidental pollination from bees.
A pair of tweezers can help you remove the stamens from the female flower if you want to avoid self-pollination.
And don’t forget a notebook and pen, because tracking which pollen you used on which flower is essential for naming your future hybrids.
2. Select Your Parent Lilies
When you’re learning how to cross pollinate lilies, choosing the right parent plants is half the fun and half the success.
Look for lilies with strong stems, healthy foliage, and the specific colors or shapes you hope to see in the offspring.
One flower will be the female parent (the one that receives pollen), and the other will be the male parent (the one that provides pollen).
If you want to cross pollinate lilies that are closely related, like two Asiatic hybrids, you’ll have a higher chance of viable seeds than crossing wildly different species.
But don’t be afraid to experiment, because some of the most stunning lilies came from unlikely crosses.
3. Prepare the Female Flower
To control how you cross pollinate lilies, you must first ensure the female flower doesn’t self-pollinate or receive stray pollen.
Pick a flower bud that’s about to open, and gently peel back the petals to expose the stamens.
Use your tweezers to carefully remove all six stamens from this flower, as this prevents its own pollen from reaching the stigma.
Then cover the female flower with a small paper bag and secure it with a twist tie until the stigma becomes sticky and glossy.
This emasculation step is key when you want to cross pollinate lilies with a known male parent, not a mystery one.
4. Collect Pollen from the Male Flower
Now it’s time to harvest pollen from the male parent lily, and this is the most hands-on part of how to cross pollinate lilies.
Wait until the male flower is fully open, and the anthers are covered in loose, powdery pollen.
Take your brush or cotton swab and gently dab the anthers to pick up the golden or rust-colored pollen grains.
If the pollen is damp or clumpy, it’s not ready yet, so wait a few hours and try again.
You can also store lily pollen in a small container in the fridge for a few days if your female flower isn’t ready yet.
This flexibility makes it easy to cross pollinate lilies even when the two varieties bloom at slightly different times.
5. Transfer the Pollen to the Stigma
This is the moment your cross pollinate lilies effort comes together, and it takes just a few seconds per flower.
Remove the paper bag from the female flower and take a close look at the stigma, which should feel slightly wet and look shiny.
Using your pollen-laden brush, swipe the pollen generously all over the stigma’s surface.
Make sure you cover the entire three-lobed tip, because each lobe leads to a different chamber where seeds can develop.
After you finish, re-cover the female flower with the paper bag and label it with the names of both parents and the date.
Leave the bag in place for about a week so no other pollen can reach the stigma while the fertilization takes hold.
How to Cross Pollinate Lilies for Maximum Seed Success
Once you’ve completed the transfer, there’s a waiting game, but you can boost your odds with a few care tips.
Many gardeners find that how to cross pollinate lilies successfully depends on the weather and the health of the parent plants.
1. Feed and Water the Developing Seed Pod
The female lily is now putting energy into making seeds, and it needs extra nutrition to do the job.
Give your lily a balanced liquid fertilizer about a week after pollination to support seed development.
Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy, because drought stress can cause the developing pod to abort.
And remove any other flowers on the same stem so the plant directs all its resources into that one seed pod.
This focus is a pro trick for how to cross pollinate lilies and still get fat, viable seeds at the end of the season.
2. Watch for the Seed Pod to Swell
About two to four weeks after you cross pollinate lilies, you should notice the ovary at the base of the flower starting to swell.
This green, three-chambered pod is the future home of your lily seeds, and it’s a clear sign fertilization worked.
If the flower just dries up and falls off without swelling, the pollination didn’t take, and you can try again next season.
Even after the petals fall away, leave the pod on the stem, because it needs the plant’s energy for another month or two.
Patience is your best friend now, and you’ll soon see why how to cross pollinate lilies is a long-term gardener’s delight.
3. Harvest and Store the Seeds
The seed pod is ready when it turns brown, splits open, and reveals stacks of flat, papery seeds inside.
Pick the pod and spread the seeds on a tray in a dry room, letting them cure for about a week.
Once fully dry, store your seeds in a labeled envelope or zip-top bag in the fridge until spring.
If you’re wondering how to cross pollinate lilies and then grow the seeds, just plant them indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost.
Your new hybrid lilies will take two to three years to bloom, but that first flower will feel incredibly special since you created it.
So, How Do You Cross Pollinate Lilies Like a Pro?
Final answer: how to cross pollinate lilies is simply a matter of careful pollen transfer, but doing it well takes observation and patience.
You can cross pollinate lilies with nothing more than a brush and a paper bag, and the rewards are unique blooms you won’t find anywhere else.
Start with a small experiment this summer, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because even failed crosses teach you something.
Remember that how to cross pollinate lilies will become second nature after you do it a few times, and soon you’ll be dreaming up your own signature hybrids.
So grab your brush, pick two gorgeous lilies, and start your breeding adventure today.
Happy hybridizing, and may your garden be full of one-of-a-kind blooms.