How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Lilies

By: Catherine Boeckmann

With large, showy blooms, lilies add striking elegance in the garden from early to midsummer. Grown from bulbs, these perennial flowers are best planted in the autumn and will return year after year with minimal care—as long as they’re planted in the right place. Learn more in our Lilies Growing Guide. 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. There are a number of popular lily species—and their endless hybrids—available to gardeners: Asiatic lilies bloom first in early summer (in May or June), right after peonies. They are not fussy as long as they are grown in well-draining soil. They are the shortest type of lily (about 2 to 3 feet tall) and come in many colors, from pastel to tropical. They don’t have much of a fragrance, but they do add bright color to the garden. Easter lilies 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. Oriental lilies have that famously strong fragrance. They are tall and stately (4 feet), and tend to grow more slowly, often blooming about the time when Asiatic lily flowers are fading (mid- to late-summer). Trumpet lilies 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 and Turk’s cap lilies, 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! Get to Know the “True Lilies” There are many plants with “lily” in the name, but most are not what we call “true lilies.” True lilies grow from onion-like bulbs and are of the genus Lilium. Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.), despite the similar appearance of their flowers, are not true lilies. Daylilies have many leaves that grow from a crown, whereas true lilies generally have only one stem or shoot that grows from a bulb. Similarly, peace lilies, canna lilies, water lilies, lily-of-the-valley, and calla lilies are not true lilies either! Learn more about what makes a lily a lily. When Do Lilies Bloom? Lilies tend to bloom from early summer to fall, depending on the type. By carefully blending early, mid-season, and late varieties into your garden, you will enjoy their magnificent blooms from spring through first frost. At home in both formal and naturalistic settings, most lilies also take readily to containers. Plus, they make great cut flowers! asiatic-lily_full_width.jpg Asiatic lilies come in a range of bright, beautiful colors. Planting When to Plant Lilies In most regions, plant lily bulbs in the fall, at least four 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 areas with particularly harsh winters, consider planting in the spring instead. 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. Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site Select a site with soil that drains well. How can you tell? After a good rain, find a spot that is the first to dry out. Water trapped beneath the overlapping scales on the lily bulb may cause rot, so a well-drained site is essential. Lilies need lots of sun. For dependable blooms, lilies need 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. Most of the popular varieties prefer acidic to neutral soil, but some are lime-tolerant or prefer alkaline soils (e.g., Madonna lilies). Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches. 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. Enrich the soil with leaf mold or well-rotted organic matter to encourage good drainage. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting. White lily How to Plant Lilies Plant the bulbs 3 times as deep as the height of the bulb and 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. See more tips on how to grow lilies. Care 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. Lily Pests/Diseases Gray mold is sometimes a problem, especially in a wet, cool spring or summer. Make sure lilies are not crowded and have plenty of air circulation. Viruses, spread by aphids, may be troublesome, although some cultivars are virus-tolerant. Red lily beetles, slugs, and snails may occur. Deer, rabbits, voles, and groundhogs may eat entire plants. If these critters are a problem, plant the bulbs in buried wire cages to protect them from getting eaten. Harvest/Storage Displaying Lilies in Vases Lilies make wonderful cut flowers. However, avoid cutting off more than a third of the stem. Taking more than that can reduce the plant’s vigor and longevity, since the plant needs its foliage to create energy. If you are growing lilies strictly for cut flowers, consider planting them in a designated cutting garden, where you can plant fresh bulbs each year. When cutting lilies, choose those with buds that are just about to open, with a bit of the flower color showing. The higher up buds will open as the bottom ones fade. Just one lily stem in a vase can be a show-stopper. As soon as you get lilies inside, trim the stem ends an inch or so, making a diagonal cut with a sharp knife. If you worry that the orange pollen of lilies might cause stains, simply snip off the stamens in the flower’s center. Before arranging in a vase, remove the lower leaves on the stems so that no foliage will be underwater. A good lily arrangement will last two or more weeks. Change the water every few days. To help prolong the flowers’ life, add cut-flower food to the water. Lilies require only half the amount of food recommended for other flowers. Learn how to keep cut flowers fresh. Recommended Varieties 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 yellow-trumpet-lily_full_width.jpg Trumpet lilies bloom mid-summer and their blooms are deeply fragrant. Just a few plants can perfume your entire garden. 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 Wit & Wisdom The name “lily” can be misleading because lots of other plants use it besides true lilies. Daylilies and water lilies aren’t lilies at all, and neither are lilies-of-the-valley or lilyturf. With so many other plants using the name “lily,” it seems that identity theft has been around since long before the use of computers and credit cards! Easter lilies can be planted in the ground in the spring. They may survive several years if you mulch them heavily in the fall, especially in northern regions. If they survive, they’ll bloom in late summer. In a flower bed, lilies prosper in the presence of low-growing plants that protect the lilies’ roots from drying out. Vegetable Gardener's Handbook vegetable_gardeners_handbook_spring_ad.png What do you want to read next? Fall Bulbs EU 2 Planting Fall Bulbs for Spring... Wildflowers v2 When to Plant Flowers Pink Lily Lily Flowers: Will the Real Lily... Orange Daylily Daylilies Outdoor Daylily Bouquet Growing Daylilies and Daylily... Autumn Joy Fall Garden The Best Fall Flowers for Your... Allium: The Ornamental Onions Growing Allium: The Ornamental... Canna Tropicanna® Anthony Tesselaar Plants Cannas Bloodroot 10 Spring Ephemerals: The First... Growing Guide: Spring-Planted Bulbs - Dahlia - Pixabay Summer-Flowering Bulbs Chart Apples Fall Tasks: Harvest, Store & Plant Amaryllis in Pot at Christmas Amaryllis Reader Comments red lily beetles Submitted by Susan Dargiewicz on September 25, 2021 - 12:11pm 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!!! oriental lily growth Submitted by Mariellen on May 31, 2021 - 6:03pm 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? Oriental Lily Submitted by Marianne on May 26, 2021 - 10:36am 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! Lilies No More :( Submitted by Mike on May 18, 2021 - 4:51pm I had a huge area of Easter lilies in my front garden for at least 12 years, along with several Asiatic lilies in the yard. Three years ago, along came the Japanese lily beetle, and that was the end for them. I'm not sure how far they've traveled yet but if you see a beautiful red beetle on your lilies, get some tissues ready because you'll cry. Manually crushing them before they lay eggs is the accepted method of control but that's a big task and I can't imagine anyone saving their lilies once the beetles arrive. While they don't devour the entire plant, they do such severe damage that any lilies that do make it to bloom are weak and fall apart within a day or two at most. I tried for three years to get the beetles in early spring at the first sign of foliage coming up but they hide out well. The only good news is that daylilies, which are not true lilies, are not affected. My Easter and Asiatic lilies are gone now and I'm not prepared to spend money on new ones to feed the little red creeps. Toxic to pets Submitted by Phyl on May 18, 2021 - 6:15am Be cautious about bringing lilies in for cut flowers if you have cats or dogs. Most lilies are very toxic to pets from seed to plants xmas Lilli Submitted by Alan whitcombe on May 18, 2021 - 1:56am i have had some luck just b 4 winter i had a few seeds from last years plants i have got 6 small plants with nice petals or leaf depends what part or world your in. its now may and i want to get thes 6 plants to grow inside as i have 12 plants out side only problem is i have the white legit xmas type the have a very nice smell. i do live in nz and its just starting winter now. also is it safe to grow them close to tobacco seedlings. i dont have green fingers as im a it tech. and i have only grown 7 foot tall tobacco plants in winter well all year round. and im trying to find help to grow a orchid that the bulb grows nice but has never flowered since 1988 since the passing of my father and only has long leaf type green growth plus they are one of the rear plants as my father did supply a flower shop back in the 70's and 80's till he past and i realy want it to grow. a company close to me did a cleen up of 4 bulbs and they did keep one of the bulbs. as payment. how do i solve this big problems with all my bulbs. i dont trust others with them as they are rear bulbs. thank you pls if you can help with my problems How do I move tiger lily bulbs in cold weather? Submitted by Ivory on January 10, 2021 - 2:19pm My grandmother recently passed away and her house has been sold. She has a tiger lily that I would like to keep, but the temperatures in the area are highs of upper 30's and lows of low to mid 20's. What's my best option for moving the bulbs and establishing them in my garden? Thanks! transferring lilies The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on January 11, 2021 - 2:09pm This may or may not work but your best bet may be to dig deep and wide around them, not disturbing or touching the bulbs–perhaps not even seeing them. Store them in a pot or box in similar conditions until spring and let them thaw naturally. Then when the soil can be worked, plant them. IF this does not work, buy others. The sentiments related to saving plants runs deep, and we understand the desire to perpetuate a loved one’s loved plants, but sometimes even the best intentions succumb to nature. if lily bulbs Submitted by steven montgomery on November 20, 2020 - 10:44am Checking the spot where my lilies are, I noticed the bulbs are showing through the dirt. Should I dig them plant them deeper? It's November now and they are on the south side of the house. lilies peeking up The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on November 24, 2020 - 1:30pm Why disturb a contented plant? Per the guidance above: 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. Asiatic Lillies that are yellow from spring to fall. Submitted by Scott Lang on August 17, 2020 - 2:16pm From Central Minnesota, I have many varieties of Asiatic Lillies and every year I get a few plants that are yellow from spring to fall and stay very short. I fertilizer throughout the season and mulch in winter. They are not being over watered. They are planted in direct sunlight. One year they are picture perfect and then the next year they are yellow all year long. What can I do to bring them back to life? Day lillies Submitted by Laura on July 10, 2020 - 7:34am Hi. I have what I think are Stella de Oro day lillies. After the flower they turn to a big green seed pod. Should I let this happen? Should I pull the dead flowers before it happens? Should I pluck these off? Please advise. I read something that says they should bloom all summer, it’s don’t and I’m wondering if it has to do with the above question. Thank you! Daylilies seed pods The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on July 10, 2020 - 5:38pm To keep the daylilies’ energy directed into flower production, remove seed pods after bloom. Plants producing seed are likely to have fewer flowers the following year Regions Submitted by Karen Benjamin on June 29, 2020 - 7:59pm Can Florida tolerate Lillies without a freeze? lilies in Florida The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on July 1, 2020 - 11:43am It depends on what part of Florida/zone 9; zones 10, further south is a maybe. The Cooperative Extension service in Florida could tell you which lilies thrive in which parts of the state. Find your service here: https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services liles changing color Submitted by kathi sikorski on June 26, 2020 - 10:49pm my sister (northern illinois) has a lily that was pure magenta last year and this year has white borders (faded, not defined). each flower seemed to have different degree of white on edges... would love to know answer as noone on fb has a clue.. thanks why flower color changes The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on July 1, 2020 - 11:54am It’s complicated, but here we go, briefly: Temperature is a major physical factor which affects flower color. Extreme temperatures will have an impact on flower color development in plants, primarily due to the effect of temperature on pigments. In general, high temperatures lead to lighter flower colors due to reduced anthocyanin content in plants such as oriental lily and others. Conversely, low temperatures result in darker flowers because of increased anthocyanin content in plants. (Anthocyanins play an irreplaceable role in the color development of plants.) Light is another major factor that affects flower color, particularly light intensity, light quality and photoperiod. Water is key, too: Appropriate water content allows plants to maintain their inherent flower colors for a longer period of time, while water deficiency (drought stress) causes flowers to turn darker. Finally, pollinators affect the flower color of ornamental plants. Lily Colors Submitted by Donna on June 24, 2020 - 11:29am I have a bed of lilies, purchased at different times through different merchants. After a few years, they have all turned white! They are all asiatic lilies. I have never seen this before. Any ideas? lilies change color The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on July 1, 2020 - 1:18pm See the comment immediately above for some insights on this phenomenon. Asiatic Lily Submitted by Kathleen Clovis on May 29, 2020 - 10:04am Can I grow the Asiatic Lily in a large pot indoors? You can plant the bulb in The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on June 1, 2020 - 4:44pm You can plant the bulb in deep pots (plant about 6 inches deep for large bulbs in container) but it needs to be outdoors for natural sunlight. Asiatic Lilies Submitted by Dianne Estcourt on April 25, 2020 - 7:05pm After a great flowering this year, I have enormous seed heads. I have removed them and opened one to find a minimum of "1million" seeds - I consider!! I have searched the internet and find it may be 7years before they grow to flowering state, but prior to that, what should I do? Dry them? Let them drop into the ground? Is it worth it? Thank you, Dianne lilies from seed? The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on April 27, 2020 - 4:14pm This is not our area of expertise, so with thanks to NDSU.edu, here’s some info: There are three different groups of lilies when it comes to seed germination. Immediate seed germinators are fairly easy to propagate from seed. This group includes most of the commercially important species. Another group is the epigeal slow seed germinators. These germinate slowly and erratically, but the procedures to propagate them are the same as for the immediate germinators.The hypogeoal slow seed germinators are very difficult to propagate.These seeds require three months of warm conditions, in which the root grows and a small bulblet is produced, followed by six weeks of cold treatment, and then another warm period, in which the leaves and stem begin to grow. To propagate from seed, sow the seed in pots in the late winter or early spring in a cold frame.Seeds should be treated with a fungicide to prevent the fungal disease Botrytis.Within two to four weeks, the seed should germinate.Make sure to sow the seed thinly and use a fertile medium.When they reach their dormant stage, divide the young bulbs.Put two or three in each pot and grow them there for another year or more before planting them outdoors in their permanent places.Always move the plants when they are dormant. You ask, is it worth it? Without knowing whether your plant is “an immediate seed germinator,” it’s hard to say. But there is only one way to find out: Plant them! Lilium Regale Submitted by Norma on April 23, 2020 - 8:00pm I have the same problem as Nancy. The leaves, mainly at the top, are turning brown adn falling of. What can I do? Regards Norma lily dying back The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on April 27, 2020 - 4:00pm The lily was probably forced to bloom for the holiday; Nancy’s was Christmas (see below), perhaps yours was Easter. Different plants are forced for holidays throughout the year and sold in different parts of the country. It is “dying back” of natural causes—although it’s probably not dead. If you still have it, plant it in the ground—not for a flower this year, but maybe for next. The success of transplanted forced plants is unpredictable: some thrive, some never quite regain their holiday beauty. Can u spread mulch (a thin Submitted by Melissa on March 22, 2020 - 3:06pm Can u spread mulch (a thin layer) on lilies in the spring to prevent weeds mulch lilies The Editors's picture Submitted by The Editors on March 31, 2020 - 9:32am Hi, Melissa. You should apply a thin layer of compost each spring, followed by a 2-inch layer of mulch. Christmas lilies Submitted by Nancy Leon on February 10, 2020 - 4:54pm We purchased beautiful white lilies at Christmas, and planted them in a pot. They bloomed through the holidays, and now the leaves and stalks are brown. What to we need to do to keep them alive so they will bloom again next winter? Thank you, Nancy Christmas lily The Editors's picture