How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Lilies
With colorful, star-shaped flowers, lilies add elegance and fragrance to any garden. By carefully blending early, midseason, and late varieties into your garden, you will enjoy their magnificent blooms from spring through first frost. Learn more about choosing, planting, and growing lilies.
About Lilies
True lilies belong to the genus Lilium and grow from plump, scaly bulbs. There are a number of popular lily species, including Orientals, Asiatics, Orienpets, and Species types.
We say “true” lilies because there are also plants, such as daylilies, peace lilies, and canna lilies, which have the term “lily” in their common name, but they’re not actually lilies at all. They do not grow from bulbs and they are in a different plant genus. Water lilies aren’t lilies at all, and neither are lily-of-the-valley.
With 8,000 or so varieties, lilies parade an endless range of colors, shapes, heights, and bewitching scents. Lilies have six plain or strikingly marked tepals (“petals”) and are often trumpet-shaped, sitting atop a tall, erect stem with narrow, long, lance-shaped leaves. They come in many beautiful colors, including pink, gold, red, orange, and white.
At home in both formal and naturalistic settings, most lilies also take readily to containers. Plus, they make great cut flowers!
To create a sequence of Lily blooms in your garden, keep in mind that Asiatics generally flower first followed by Orienpets and then Oriental varieties.
- Asiatic lilies (Lilium sp. - “Asiatic hybrids”) are the earliest to bloom (usually in May or June), right after peonies. They are also the easiest to grow, as long as they are planted in well-draining soil, not waterlogged. They are the shortest type of lily (about 2 to 3 feet tall) and come in many colors, from pastel to tropical. Hybrids come in pure white, pinks, vivid yellows, oranges, and reds; heights are from one to six feet. Intense breeding has erased much of the Asiatics’ fragrance, but in spite of their lack of perfume, they are a favorite with floral arrangers.
- Oriental lilies (Lilium sp. - “Oriental hybrids”) have that famously intoxicating fragrance. They are tall and stately (4 feet), and tend to grow more slowly. Oriental hybrids bloom in mid- to late summer, just when Asiatic lilies are beginning to fade. Orientals are always a striking choice, producing masses of huge white, pink, red, or bi-color blooms. They make wonderful cut flowers that will fill even the largest of rooms with their spicy scents.
- Easter lilies (Lilium longifolium) are most commonly grown indoors as a holiday plant. As their name suggests, they are typically forced into bloom around Easter, in March or April. Outdoors, they are better suited for warmer regions of North America, where they can be planted in the garden after blooming has finished.
- Trumpet lilies (Lilium sp. - “Trumpet hybrids”) are similar to oriental lilies, producing many blooms with a nice scent. Their flowers tend to be smaller and more closed (like a trumpet) than those of the other lilies.
There are other lilies out there, of course, such as tiger lilies (Lilium henryi) and Turk’s cap lilies (Lilium superbum), as well as hybrids like “Orienpet” (Oriental + Trumpet) and “LA” lilies (Easter + Asiatic). Browse through your favorite online gardening retailer’s catalog to find what you like best!
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Lilies need lots of sun. For dependable blooms, lilies should get 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day (aka “full sun”). If it’s too shady, the stems will attempt to lean towards the sun or get spindly and fall over.
Also, a well-drained site is critical. Water trapped beneath the scales may rot the bulb. How can you tell if your site drains well? After a good rain, find a spot that is the first to dry out. Enrich the soil with leaf mold, compost, or well-rotted manure to encourage good drainage. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Most of the popular varieties prefer acidic to neutral soil, but some are lime-tolerant or prefer alkaline soils (e.g., Madonna lilies).
When to Plant Lilies
Lilies are commonly planted in the fall, but they can planted in the spring in areas with harsh winters.
- In the fall, plant at least 4 weeks prior to your first fall frost date. Bulbs planted in the autumn will have well established roots in the spring. The bulbs benefit from a winter chill to produce big blooms.
- In the spring, plant as soon as the threat of frost has passed.
- Container-grown lily plants can be planted anytime during the early summer.
- Buy the bulbs close to planting time. Because lily bulbs don’t go dormant, they will deteriorate over time, so don’t plan to buy bulbs in the fall and wait until spring to plant them.
How to Plant Lilies
- Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches.
- Plant lilies three times as deep as the bulbs are high. The deep planting encourages the developing stem to send out roots to help stabilize the plant and perhaps eliminate the need for staking. Also, deep planting keeps lily bulbs cool when temperatures soar.
- Set the bulb in the hole pointy side up.
- Fill the hole with soil and tamp gently.
- Space bulbs at a distance equal to three times the bulb’s diameter (usually about 8 to 18 inches apart, depending on the variety).
- For visual appeal, plant lilies in groups of 3 to 5 bulbs.
- Water thoroughly at time of planting.
How to Care for Lilies
- During active growth, water freely—especially if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
- Keep lilies mulched so that their roots are cool. The mulch should feel moist, but not wet. Read more about mulching.
- Apply a high-potassium liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks from planting until 6 weeks after flowering.
- Apply a thin layer of compost each spring, followed by a 2-inch layer of mulch.
- Stake tall lilies.
- Lilies do not bloom more than once per season, but you can remove the faded flowers so that the plants don’t waste energy making seeds.
- After the lily blooms, you can also remove just the stem itself. However, do NOT remove leaves until they have died down and turned brown in fall. It’s very important not to cut back the leaves until the end of their season because hey help provide nourishment to the bulb for next season’s blooms.
- Cut down the dead stalks in the late fall or early spring.
- Before winter, add 4 to 6 inches of mulch, simply to delay the ground freeze and allow the roots to keep growing. Leave the mulch until spring once the last hard frost has passed. See your local frost dates. See your local frost dates.
- If your region doesn’t have snow cover, keep soil moist in winter.
- When lily shoots grow through the mulch in the spring, start to remove it gradually.
- Divide plants every 3 to 4 years as new growth begins in the spring. Just lift the plants and divide the clumps. Replant the new bulbs adding some compost.
There are many types of lilies which bloom at different times. With some careful planning, you can enjoy lilies all summer long by planting bulbs from different varieties.
Asiatic lilies are the earliest to bloom and the easiest to grow. With their upward facing flowers, they bloom early to midsummer. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9, Asiatic lilies come in pure white, pink, vivid yellow, orange, and red. Intense breeding has erased much of the Asiatics’ fragrance, but in spite of their lack of perfume, they are a favorite with floral arrangers.
- ‘Crete’: deep pink, blooms June to July, 3 to 4 feet tall
- ‘Enchantment’: orange, blooms in June, 2 to 3 feet tall
Trumpet lilies bloom mid-summer. Tall with trumpet-shaped flowers, they are hardy in Zones 5 to 9. Trumpet lilies grow many blooms (12 to 15 per stalk!) and have a wonderfully heady, sweet fragrance.
- ‘Regale’: white, blooms early to late summer, 3 to 4 feet tall
- ‘Rising Moon’: pastel yellow with a pink edges, blooms in mid-summer, 3 to 4 feet tall
Oriental hybrids end the season, blooming in mid- to late summer, just when Asiatic lilies are beginning to fade. From tiny 2-footers to towering 8-foot-tall giants, Orientals are always a striking choice (the shorter ones are great for patio beds or container gardens). Adored for their intoxicating fragrance that intensifies after dark, Oriental lilies produce masses of huge white, pink, red, or bi-color blooms. They make wonderful cut flowers that will fill even the largest of rooms with their spicy scents.
- ‘Black Beauty’: dark red, blooms in late summer, 5 to 6 feet tall
- ‘Casa Blanca’: white, blooms August to September, 4 to 5 feet tall
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Please keep in mind that lillies are poisonous to cats! I had to take our cats to the animal hospital for overnight IV solution to wash out the toxins, otherwise they could go into kidney failure. I thought daylillies would be ok, but there have been concerns that these are toxic as well.
I didn't find this question anywhere: I ordered lily bulbs and received them with sprouts. Should I go ahead and plant them even though the are trying to grow in the fall?
Got asian lilies as a gift. Blooms fell off 3 weeks ago. ? do I let it renew blooms w/o help or do I cut the old stems back or any advice. Thanx Joe B
Joe, I think this is what you are looking for; this and more appears on this page above:
- Lilies do not bloom more than once per season, but you can remove the faded flowers so that the plants don’t waste energy making seeds.
- After the lily blooms, you can also remove just the stem itself. However, do NOT remove leaves until they have died down and turned brown in fall. It’s very important not to cut back the leaves until the end of their season because hey help provide nourishment to the bulb for next season’s blooms.
- Cut down the dead stalks in the late fall or early spring.
I know bugs go after my rose bushes I use a mixture of soap and water. I wonder if that will work for Lily’s my daughter bought me two plants for Mother’s Day. I am working out where to plant them.
I too am infested with red lily beetles but I refuse to give up. I love my lilies too much. I have Oriental, Asiatic, Easter, and my favorite, Tiger lilies. I'm retired now (Yeah!) so at least 2 or 3 times a day I'm out with my flowers squishing those critters with my bare fingers. I used to hate killing things, (I know pesticides won't work), but to save my lilies I will do it. I also squish those dastardly gross brown globs of gook on the leaves, too. It's a challenge, but my lilies are absolutely gorgeous. I'm still winning!!!
A few years back I had a huge infestation of red lily Beatles called the Colombia extension they gave me the name of the insecticide to use it’s called ( IMIDACLOPRID ) but I had to research the product . It’s Bayern advanced complete insect killer. Now I try to be as organic as possible in my vegi garden but flowers you don’t eat. One spray and good by red Lilly Beatle .research the life cycle of that bug and you will now when to spray . i spray once in the spring just as the Lilly’s show out of the ground that kills the Beatles, as they over winter in the ground around Lilly plant. Then later if I see any activity. Spray late in the evening when it get cool so as not to hurt the bees .
We have the same problem every year and we do the same thing, squash them critters. I’ve eliminated up to 500 of those critters in one year along with as much poop with larvae in it. Wear gloves always. Wish they had something to spray on the leaves to eliminate them.
A rabbit is chewing through my lily stems before the plant can bud and bloom. I dug up the bulbs and am wondering if they can be saved? Can I just cut the remaining stem away and replant them or should they be stored dry until fall and planted then ... or are they just a lost cause?
I purchased a lily with 3 beautiful fragrant flowers. Will it flower again? Is there anything I can do to help the process besides water and fertilizer? Thanks!
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