Every summer since I planted the bulbs in the fall of 2012, Orienpet ‘Robina’ has gone off script. The first year the flowers bloomed much lighter than the raspberry-pink color promised by sellers.
The following year they added a bit more color:
Last summer they finally came into their own:
So when ‘Robina’ started blooming again last week, this came as a bit of a shock:
I’m assuming the funky lines have an environmental cause. Several weeks ago a few of my LA lily flowers were weirdly stippled, but it was nothing this wild.
I think it looks zany and fun. I know the effect may never return, so I’m just enjoying it. The bulbs grew ridiculously tall this year—almost 7 feet—and the plants look healthy.
A “normal” ‘Robina’ Orienpet grows 3 to 4 feet tall and blooms in July with raspberry-pink flowers. But who knows what you’ll get if you grow one. Mine is a 7-foot monster with medium-pink flowers that have wacky scribbles on them. Either way the flowers appear on sturdy stalks and the scent on this lily is to die for.
‘Robina’ is a weirdo, but definitely a keeper.