All About Lilies

Lilies are probably some of the most popular flowers utilized by gardeners and florists! Lilies are an incredibly versatile and easy-to-grow bulb, providing color and impact indoors and out.

Lilies, or plants of the genus Lilium, can also be one of the most confusing to identify. It’s not your fault – many plants include ‘lily’ in their common name, but aren’t actually true lilies. For example, Hostas are sometimes called plantain lily, Hemerocallis are called Daylily, Kniphofia are commonly called torch lily, and there are many more! Many plants, including Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) or Checkered Lily (Fritillaria) can at least claim to be of the Lily family (Liliaceae) but not of the genus Lilium. Plus, the genus Lilium includes nine divisions. Yikes – it’s enough to make even the studious gardener's head swirl!

Fortunately, we can leave the botany to the experts and use Lilium to plant a garden filled with flowers that will bloom in succession from late spring through to fall. When planted in rich, well-drained soil that benefits from shaded roots and sunny heads, Lilies will punctuate your garden with color and ask for very little in return.

Planting Lilies For Maximum Impact

Planting for maximum impact is important when it comes to lilies. They are leggy, quite tall, and can look awkward in the landscape if not sited well with other plants around them. Think about locating them within other mixed plantings, particularly with perennials that flower in early spring and can use a bit of brightening mid-season – such as Clematis and Phlox. Planting combos can also reduce the need to stake tall Lilies, and will give the bulbs and roots a bit of shade in the heat of mid-season.

The most popular lilies include the Species Lilies (‘wild’ lilies), as well as Oriental Lilies, Asiatic Lilies, and Trumpet hybrids that have come about through years of breeding. Let’s look at those groups as they pertain to general flowering time in the garden! Use this guide to plan where to plant Lilies as accents around some of your favorite plants and shrubs.

Lilies Make Excellent Cut Flowers

One of the most popular uses for Lilies is as cut flowers. Here are a few tips for keeping your cutting garden healthy and productive:

• Hybrids, particularly Asiatic hybrids and Oriental hybrids with their strong scent, make some of the best cutting flowers. They're available in a myriad of colors, too.
• Cut lilies when at least two of the blossoms in the top cluster have begun to open and other buds appear fat and tinged with color. You can also check the buds themselves for cracking – a clear sign that the inner layers of the blossom are beginning to pull apart and open.
• Cut your stems as short as possible to keep a good amount of food-producing leaves on the plant. Those leaves are channeling food back to the bulb for more blooms next year.
• Make a fresh cut with a clean knife or clippers and and arrange in lukewarm water.
• Consider gently removing the large pollen coated anthers which will drop vibrant pollen grains onto tables and cloths and stain them. Doing so is easy – gently grasp the filament with your fingertips and pull off the anther.
• Changing the water every few days will help to dissuade bacteria from causing your flowers to fade more quickly,

When To Plant Lilies

Lilies are often sold only in the early spring, and in North America, there is generally a broader variety of Lilies available to order and plant in the spring. Popular varieties are available to order and plant in the fall as well. In colder climates, they do very well planted in the fall before the ground freezes. Ordering fresh stock directly from a reputable supplier such as American Meadows ensures that you won’t get bulbs or bareroots that have dried out in retail stores with fluctuating temperatures.

If you fall-plant your lilies and live with wet winters, it is vital that you consider the site very carefully, and perhaps supplement the soil with grit to ensure that bulbs do not rot over the cold months.

Learn More: How To Grow Lilies

About the Author: Marianne Willburn is a columnist, blogger and author of the new book "Big Dreams, Small Garden: Creating Something Extraordinary in Your Ordinary Space." Originally from California, she now gardens in Virginia – read more at www.smalltowngardener.com.