How to Grow Pollinator-Friendly Lillies in Your Garden Like a Pro (2024)

Lily Care

While guidance varies depending on the species, here are common lily plant care requirements:

• Place in full sun or partial shade.
• Plant in a well-draining, fertile soil.
• Water regularly. Lilies dislike being dry, but soggy soils can cause root rot.
• Fertilize at the start of the growing season and then every few weeks until blooming finishes.
• Mulch bulb roots to retain moisture and provide cool shade.

Light

Plant lilies in full sun or part shade. They do best in a spot receiving 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. However, you don’t want bulb roots to get too hot. Shade the bulbs by planting them deeply (around 6 to 9 inches into the soil).

This also helps stabilize these tall-stemmed species. When summer temperatures soar, consider adding a layer of mulch to keep the soil cool. However, don’t mulch up the plant’s stem—this can lead to stem rot.

Soil

A well-drained soil is a must for your lilies, as soggy conditions lead to bulb rot. If drainage is an issue, consider building raised beds. Most species do well in slightly acidic to neutral pH levels.

Lilies prefer fertile conditions. Amending your soil with organic matter, such as compost or well-aged manure, can offer a beneficial boost.

Water

Even moisture promotes strong lily stems and long-lasting blooms. Using a drip irrigation system or slowly manually watering the roots is ideal. Overhead, heavy watering encourages the development of fungal diseases.

Depending on your climate, you might need to deeply water once or twice a week during the hot, dry summer months, tapering off as the temperatures drop and rainfall is more frequent.

Temperature and Humidity

Lilies typically grow best in daytime temperatures between 65°F and 70°F. Temperatures above 82°F can lead to disappointing stem and bloom growth.

If the bulbs of these temperate climate natives experience prolonged exposure to temperatures below 20°F, they will be unlikely to grow again the following season. Lilies don’t appreciate overly high humidity levels or extreme fluctuations.

Fertilizer

Your lilies will appreciate regular applications of a balanced, slow-release 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer during the growing season.

Fertilize in early spring once you see new shoots emerging, then every few weeks until the flowering period ends. Don’t fertilize newly planted bulbs. Lilies don’t like strong formulas coming directly into contact with newly developing roots.

Types of Lilies

Lily species are categorized into nine different horticultural divisions. This includes the native species and several hybrid varieties. Below are some of the common classifications.

Native Lilies

There are over 100 wild lily species. Some popular native examples include:

• Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum): A highly fragrant, compact species (grows up to 3 feet tall) with white flowers. It blooms midsummer and is commonly grown as a pot plant.
• Tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium): A show-stopper typically featuring bright orange blooms with dark spots in mid-to-late summer. It can produce up to 10 flowers per stem and is highly disease-tolerant.
• Canada lily (Lilium Canadense): This non-fragrant species' nodding blooms are typically yellow, orange, or red, and the stems can reach 8 feet tall. Each plant can produce up to 20 blooms in early to mid-summer.

Asiatic Lilies

Hybrid Asiatic lilies are the earliest blooming and easiest to grow of all the lily types—and they don’t typically reach more than 3 feet in height. The flowers, which usually appear in May or June, come in a wide range of colors and are usually not scented. These days, you’ll often see LA-hybrids, compact Asiatic and Longiflorum mixes.

Oriental Lilies

Hybrid Oriental lilies, like the stargazer lily, bloom mid-to-late summer. More delicate and tricky to grow than the Asiatic hybrids, these plants are famed for the heady, spicy scent emanating from their tall-stemmed, large flowers.

Trumpet Lilies

The midsummer blooming trumpet hybrids are similar to the Oriental lilies, although their scent isn’t quite as overpowering, and the flowers are smaller and more closed in shape. There are also Orienpet hybrids, crosses between trumpet and Oriental lilies.

Pruning

After your lily plants bloom and the tall stems turn brown in the late fall, you can cut them back to the ground. Don’t cut them back before then, as they continue to nourish the bulb to promote next season’s growth.

Propagating Lilies

Lilies can be propagated through various methods. Clump division or bulb scaling (breaking up and rooting certain parts of the bulb) in the fall are the most rapid, easy options. Follow the steps below to try producing new lily plants from bulb scales.

1. Dig up and select large, disease-free bulbs after the plants finish flowering and the foliage dies back.
2. Carefully clean the bulb.
3. Break off several newly formed outer scales growing out of the basal plate (the main fleshy stem of the bulb).
4. Dip the scales into a fungicide.
5. Place the scales in a sealable plastic bag containing a moist mix of sphagnum moss and vermiculite.
6. Seal the bag and store it in a warm, dark, well-ventilated location. Ideal temperatures are around 75°F.
7. Wait for the bulblets to form roots. Depending on the lily species, this can take 10 to 18 weeks.
8. Once the bulblets have fully formed roots, transfer them to their permanent location.

How to Grow Lilies From Seed

Growing lilies from seed isn’t too tricky, but it can take two to six years before the plants bloom.

1. Treat seeds with a fungicide.
2. Sow in pots in late winter or early spring. Keep them in a cold frame or greenhouse where temperatures remain around 70°F, and they have access to bright but indirect light.
3. Sow seeds thinly in a fertile, evenly moist starter medium.
4. Germination to form bulbs can take a few weeks to a few months, depending on the lily species and conditions.
5. Divide the bulbs once the seedlings take root and reach their dormancy phase.
6. Keep them in the cold frame or greenhouse for another growing season.
7. Harden off the seedlings before transplanting them to their permanent location (again during the dormancy phase and after the seedlings develop their first sets of true leaves).

Potting and Repotting Lilies

Lilies perform well in pots, making a striking, scented addition to a sunny patio. Select a pot that is around 2 inches wider in diameter than the original one. It should have good drainage holes and be deep enough to accommodate the bulbs having at least twice their height in well-draining, fertile potting soil above them.

Overwintering

Applying an insulating layer of mulch several inches thick in late fall can protect newly planted bulbs and allow them more time to establish their roots by delaying any ground freeze. You can gradually remove the mulch layer after the last spring frosts.

How to Get Lilies to Bloom

Learn more about how to enjoy the best lily blooms for as long as possible.

Bloom Months

Typically, Asiatic hybrids, Madonna lilies, and Martagon lilies bloom in early to midsummer. Trumpet lily flowers appear in mid-to-late summer, and show-stopping oriental lilies often bloom from late summer to early fall.

How Long Do Lilies Bloom?

How long the blooms last depends on the lily species and the plant’s health. Individual flowers can last anywhere from a few days to over a fortnight. There are usually several flowers per stem, so one plant can be in flower for a while.

What Do Lily Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Lilies vary in smell, size, and appearance depending on the species. However, the large, exotic-looking, trumpet-shaped flowers usually have six petals and a pollen-topped, golden stamen in the center.

Some lilies, like the Oriental varieties, have a very heady scent. If you find this overpowering, consider introducing scent-free Asiatic lilies instead.

How to Encourage More Blooms

To produce bountiful blooms, ensure your lilies receive plenty of sun, nutrients, and even moisture. Other issues that can affect flowering include overcrowding, cutting back the stems too early before they have time to store enough energy in their bulb for their dormant winter phase, and not planting the bulbs deep enough in the soil.

Deadheading Lily Flowers

Lilies only flower once per season, so deadheading isn’t required to encourage the development of new flower buds. However, removing the spent flowers keeps the plant looking tidy, and directs energy to any remaining blooms and foliage. Once all the blooms are past their best, deadheading directs all the plant’s energy to boosting the bulbs rather than to seed pod production.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Some native species, such as tiger lilies, and hybrid lilies are less vulnerable to disease or are disease-resistant. However, it’s always worth keeping an eye out for some of the more common lily pest and disease problems, including:

• Aphids: These act as vectors for the lily mosaic virus
• Botrytis fungal disease: Probably the most common lily disease, early signs are small, spreading white or brown spots on the leaves or buds. Oriental × Trumpet and Oriental hybrid cultivars tend to be resistant.
• Lily mosaic virus: Can cause unsightly discoloration, stunted growth, and bloom issues.
• Lily leaf beetle: These bright red insects chew holes in lily leaves, stems, and buds, sometimes to the point of complete defoliation.

Remove aphids or other pests as soon as you see them, and apply a natural insecticide, such as neem oil, if problems persist. To prevent diseases, avoid overwatering and overhead watering and immediately remove infected plants and bulbs.

Common Problems with Lilies

When there’s a problem with your lily plants, often there are early warning signs to look out for.

Leaves Turning Yellow

Overwatering is a common cause of yellowing leaves on lily plants. Underwatering or getting light levels wrong are also offenders.

Fusarium wilt disease causes yellowing of the leaves before the plant turns brown and dies. If the fungus is present in your soil, select highly resistant lilies such as Asiatic cultivars 'Orlito' and 'Connecticut King' or Lilium regale or Lilium dauricum.

Weak Stems

If your plant’s stems are overly floppy and break easily, possible causes include insufficient light, too much nitrogen in your fertilizer, and bulbs not being planted deep enough.

Curling Leaves

If your lily’s leaves are curling unattractively, consider whether it needs more moisture or respite from scorching sun. If there are lots of aphids around, your plant could be suffering from the lily mosaic virus.