I’m glad I got to see ‘Purple Dream’ Asiatic lilies bloom before the lily leaf beetle really takes hold in my flowerbeds. I’ve been seeing photos and comments online from people in Wisconsin who have battled the beetles for 2 seasons now, and most of them have given up growing lilies completely or are about to pull up all of their plants because they’re so disgusted.
The other option is to use a bunch of chemicals that can harm pollinators. I’m trying an organic spray to keep them at bay, but we’ve tallied significant rain almost every two days this growing season so far, so it’s too hard to keep up.
‘Purple Dream’ is lovely. I planted some bulbs last fall and they grew about 30 inches tall this season and are covered with reddish-purple flowers that have a dark-burgundy center and flecks.
‘Purple Dream’ is supposed to top out at 3 feet tall and bloom in July. As I’ve mentioned recently, everything is blooming a couple of weeks ahead of schedule in southern Wisconsin this season.
The color is very unique. If it wasn’t for that pesky beetle, I’d definitely add more of these pretty blooms to my flowerbeds!