In all honesty ‘Red Sensation’® is not an absolute newcomer: the lily has been on the market since October 2005. However, it takes a while before a breeder is able to accumulate a large enough stock of bulbs for the commercial demand of a new lily cultivar. This year the stock will be adequate to meet demand. Expectations are that between 750,000 and 1 million stems will be sold at the Dutch auctions – two to three times more than the previous year. That is great news for the fans of ‘Red Sensation’®!

The petals show us exactly what this lily is all about: a heart-warming Christmas red color. The lily is even attractive while still in the bud stage. Once it is fully open this Asian lily sizzles with its intensely red, almost fluorescent ‘stars’ that are around 6 inches in diameter. In addition ‘Red Sensation’® will have no trouble lasting through the Christmas period. Flowers that have had adequate exposure to assimilation lighting during their production and harvested at the right stage of maturity will have a vase life of 10 to 14 days.

Lilium (Asian Group) ‘Red Sensation’® (Dutch Auction Code 26436) is supplied at the Dutch auctions from May to the end of December. The average stem length is 33 ½ inches. The number of flowers per stem depends on the size of the flower bulb: from at least four (bulb size 12/14) to six (bulb size 16/18). Thanks to the upright position of the buds the stems transport well, do not damage easily and are easy to create designs with.