A new pollen-free lily could mean the end of frustrating stains from the flowers

The popular flower is often associated with excessive pollen that stains everything it touches. Hay fever sufferers find the flower particularly troublesome as the pollen is so easy to knock off. The newly produced flower sees the anthers made smaller and unable to produce pollen.

Attempts before to produce a lily without pollen have created misshapen plants that don’t live very long. The new form of lily has been developed by Sainsbury’s, who currently sell 100,000 lily stems a week, using conventional techniques and not genetic modification. The development took place over seven to eight years and the flower will be a Sainsbury’s exclusive.

“This is the breakthrough the entire flower industry has been looking for,” said the store’s flower technologist Robert Honeysett.

The new development could mean millions of pounds for the industry, as people normally put off by the pollen now have an alternative. The first variety that will be available is a yellow bloom called Summer Breeze, and trials have started on other varieties. The pollen-free lilies will initially cost more than traditional counterparts, according to Sainsbury’s, when they are made available in August.


/Telegraph.co.uk/