Use Lilies without the Risk of Pollen Residue

White Oriental Lilies

One of the most common flowers used in floral design today are lilies! They are a beautiful focal flower with a unique shape and come in a variety of sizes and colors. Because of this, florists have been able to appropriately incorporate them into arrangements for all occasions. Unfortunately, there is one large drawback to lilies: the pollen.

Lily pollen is notorious for staining everything it touches including florists’ hands and clothing. It also easily stains the lily’s petals if not cleaned properly. Luckily, there is an easy way to prevent lily pollen from spreading in the first place! Simply remove the anthers from your lily.

In the middle of every lily, there is a stamen comprised of 6 filaments and a central pistil. On top of each of the 6 filaments, there in a small, brown, vanilla bean shaped pollen pod called an anther. As the lily opens and the anthers are exposed to open air, they start releasing the pollen they hold within.  To remove an anther, grasp it lightly with either your fingers or a pair of tweezers and pluck it from filament. The anther will come off easily, and the filament stalk will be left behind.

The best time to remove the anthers is before they open; however, they still can, and should, be removed after they have started releasing pollen to try and reduce the spread of pollen. If your anthers have opened and pollen is on your lily’s petals, do not panic. Gently clean the pollen residue with chenille stems or pipe cleaners. Most methods of cleaning off the petals, such as your finger or a tissue, will press and crush the pollen. This is what creates the stain. Instead fold a chenille stem in half to make a small loop and gently brush the pollen off each petal. There will be minimal to no staining left behind. Derita has all the supplies you need and carries a variety of Asiatic lilies, Double lilies, Stargazer or Starfighter lilies, and Oriental lilies year round!