Lilium Plant Growing & Care Guide for Gardeners
Article by Dean Ravenscroft, Ph.D. - Updated 26th Nov 2023
In this Gardener's HQ guide, we'll explore cultivating Lilium plants in your garden, indoor spaces, and other settings.
- Plant Characteristics: Lilium boasts large, prominent flowers with a range of colors and patterns. Its statuesque stems and striking blooms make it a focal point in any garden.
- Ideal Growing Conditions: Prefers well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. Ensuring good air circulation around the plants helps prevent fungal diseases.
- General Care: Requires moderate watering, especially during the growing season. Staking taller varieties can help support heavy blooms.
- Tips for New Gardeners: Lily is a great choice for beginners. Its resilience and spectacular blooms make it a rewarding experience for those new to gardening.
Lily: Cultivation & Garden Use
The Lilium genus are grown as half hardy or hardy bulbs in the garden.
Due to the large size of the genus, there is a large range in height (from 30 to 1.8 m; one to six feet) in the lily (Liliaceae) family.
Lilies usually have lance shaped leaves, long upright stems, and beautiful trumpet shaped fragrant flowers.
Depending on the species, Lily bloom from the end of spring through to the end of summer.
Lily Photographs under CC licence are of the following: Lilium longiflorum, Lilium candidum, and Lilium martagon.
Some of the common names for lily varieties include Lily, Lemon Lily, Annunciation Lily, Royal lily, Bamboo Lily, and Bulbil lily.
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Lilium Growing and Care Guide
Common Names: Lily: Bamboo; Tiger; Easter, Japanese; Lemon; Siberian; Leopard; Madonna; Martagon; Meadow; Royal; Turk’s Cap.Life Cycle: Hardy bulb. Half hardy bulb.
Height: 12 to 60 inches (30 to 180 cm).
Native: Northern America. Europe. Asia.
Growing Region: Zones 4 to 9.
Flowers: Species dependent: Late spring and/or summer.
Flower Details: Many Colours. Trumpets. Upright. Large. Fragrant.
Foliage: Herbaceous. Lanceolate. Whorled.
Growing Lily Outside: Usually grown from Lilium bulbs as seed grown plants will not bear flowers for about three or four years. Spacing 8 to 24 inches (20 to 60 cm).
Bulbs: 3 to 9 inches depending upon species (8 to 23 cm); two to three times the size of the bulb. Start of spring or autumn.
Seeds: Surface 1/4 inch (6 mm). Start of spring - before the last frost, or in autumn.
Sow seeds Inside: Germination time: one to eight weeks. Temperature: 70°F (21°C). Seeds should be first soaked for one day. Mix seeds in a moist growing medium and place in a bag. Keep soil moist. After about a month check for the formation of bulblets. If this has occurred transfer the bag and refrigerate for three months. Following this period transplant into individual pots. Grow indoors for one year and then transplant deeply outdoors following the last frost.
Requirements and care: Species dependent: Full sunlight or light shade. Acidic soil. Moist, sometimes wet soil. Some species prefer a limy soil. Regular watering during periods of growth. Spring mulch. Provide a spring feed. Provide an additional feed following flowering. Deadhead. Provide support. Cut back the stems to the ground upon the first frost of winter. Replace short-lived lilies regularly. Propagate: from bulbils that grow from the stem towards the end of summer or autumn.
Miscellaneous: Lilium bulbs are edible, though largely bitter tasting, and are sold as a cooling health food in China. It is also often used in Japanese cuisine, notably in the savory egg custard dish known as Chawan-mushi. Some species such as Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) are very toxic to cats.
How to Grow Lily, Lilium
The lily can be grown from either seeds or lily bulbs. It is probably easiest to grow from bulbs. As the Lilium genus is large the variation in lily bulb size is large too. Smaller species should be burried about 6 cm deep, whereas larger ones needed to be planted ad deep as 30 cm (1 foot).
The best way to decide how deep to bury a lily bulb is to multiply the size of the bulb diameter by three, and bury it that deep. Bulbs can be planted out in either autumn or at the start of spring.
The bulbs of small lilies should be spaced about 25 cm (10 inches) apart, whilst bigger lily varieties should be spaced about 50 cm (20 inches) apart. If you prefer to grow lilies from seed, then they should be sown at about 6 mm deep before the last frost of spring, or in autumn.
It can take from two to four years before seed grown lilies will flower.
Lilies can be grown in both sunny and lightly shaded conditions, this depend on the species. As a generalization lilies like to grow in a slightly acidic moist soil.
Taking Care of Lilies
Lilies take a little caring for: they require regular watering to keep the soil moist during their most active growing periods. The lilies base should be mulched in the spring. Lilies require to be fertilized at the start of spring and when the flowering period has finished. dead flowers should be removed. Lily stems should be cut back to the ground level upon the first frost of the winter.
The Lilium plant will produce bulbils or bulb scales, so if you require more lilies in the garden then these can be used for propagation at the beginning of autumn.
Common Questions
How many members does the Lilium genus have?
The Lilium genus, also known as lilies, has around 100 species. Lilies are known for their large, fragrant, and vibrant flowers.
Do members of Lilium make a good garden or landscaping plant?
Yes, Lilium species make excellent garden plants. They add height, drama, and fragrance to borders, and are also popular for cut flowers.
Which Lilium species are most frequently grown by gardeners?
Among the most frequently grown species are Lilium orientalis (Oriental Lily), Lilium longiflorum (Easter Lily), and Lilium lancifolium (Tiger Lily).
Are members of the Lilium plant genus fragrant?
Yes, many Lilium species are known for their delightful fragrance, which can fill a garden or indoor space.
What is the perfect location to grow Lilium?
Lilium plants prefer a location with full sun to partial shade, and well-drained, fertile soil. Bulbs should be planted in fall or early spring.
Is Lilium invasive in the USA, if so in which states?
Currently, Lilium species are not considered invasive in the USA. However, some non-native species may naturalize under suitable conditions.
How do I remove Lilium plants from my garden?
To remove Lilium, carefully dig up the bulbs, taking care to remove all parts to prevent them from regrowing.
Summary
The Lilium genus, belonging to the Liliaceae family, comprises bulbous perennials native to the northern hemisphere. Known for their large, fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers, these plants are often used in borders and containers and are commonly known as lilies.
Lilium prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. Plant the bulbs in the fall for summer blooms. Regular watering is necessary during growth and bloom periods. Propagation is typically done through bulbs.
I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Lilium plants. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's HQ growing guides: How to grow Nomocharis, Parsnips, and Calochortus plants.
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