What's that Plant in Darien? A Rubrum Lily

Near the sidewalk on Noroton Avenue just north of Park Place is one spot where you can find a certain kind of red and white lily growing -- but what is it?

Tom Doyle, the third generation of a family that has owned and run Springdale Forist & Greenhouse on Camp Avenue since 1922, identified it right off from a picture (now attached to this article). Get a good look at it if you see it, because it only flowers briefly, and soon it will be gone, he said.

"That's a hybrid lily -- could be Rubrum or Stargazer," Doyle said. Lilies come in many hybrids, with a range of colors, he said, adding that you can find plenty in yellow, pink or orange.

The perennial flower is good for cutting and putting in flower arrangements, Doyle said. The flower has a strong, sweet fragrance.

"Most people use it as a cut flower because it doesn't last very long in the garden," he said. After the flower is gone, he added, the rest of the plant doesn't look that good in a garden.

"You can buy the same lily in your flower shop," Doyle said. If you do, buy it "on the break" -- just as the flower starts opening up from a bud, he said. When it opens enough, he recommends pulling the pollen out of it so that it doesn't stain anything indoors.

"They'll generally last a good two weeks," he said.

According to several websites, the redrum or stargazer are types of lily that can be toxic to cats.

For instance, according to the "Pet Poison Hotline" website, "The more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies of the Lilium or Hemerocallis species. Examples of some of these dangerous lilies include the tiger, day, Asiatic hybrid, Easter, Japanese Show, rubrum, stargazer, red, Western, and wood lilies – all of which are highly toxic to cats! Even small ingestions (such as 2-3 petals or leaves) – even the pollen or water from the vase – can result in severe, acute kidney failure."