The 19 Types of Lilies You Should Consider Growing This Year
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Lilies are one of the most stunning flowering bulbs you can add to your garden, and they’re easy to grow in the right conditions. “Lilies have been cultivated for centuries, so there are many different types of lilies,” says Jim Sutton, associate director of display design at Longwood Gardens. “Most lilies are fragrant, they come in many different heights and colors except blue, and they don’t take up a lot of space in your garden.”
Lilies also are tough flowers that excel in a variety of garden settings. “There are thousands of types of lilies, so almost everyone can grow some type of lily,” says Claire Krofft, bulb garden senior horticulturalist at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The benefits don’t end there: They “return for many years, so they’re a great long-lived perennial. And pollinators love them,” she adds.
Meet the Experts
How to Plant and Grow Lilies
Lilies need lots of sun to bloom well. Find a spot in full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. While some lilies tolerate a little shade, they’re not the best option for you if your garden is mostly shade, says Krofft. In general, lilies like well-drained soil that stays a little moist. But they’ll rot in heavy clay soils that don’t drain well.
Lilies grow from bulbs, and most lily bulbs should be planted approximately three times as deep as the bulb is wide, says Krofft. Err on the side of planting them too deep, rather than too shallow, then add a few inches of mulch on top of the planting area.
Also, lilies look best when planted in groups of three or more, rather than one here and one there in the garden, says Sutton. If you like, you also can feed your bulbs with a granular extended release fertilizer (something like a 20-20-20) in the spring when you first see the foliage appear.
Unlike spring-flowering bulbs which must be planted in the fall for the blooms the following year, you can plant lilies in either the spring or fall. In much of the country, the latest you typically can plant lilies in your garden for summer blooms is May. Or plant the bulbs in the fall from September until November for blooms the following summer, says Sutton.
19 Types of Lilies for Your Garden
1. Flore Pleno (Lilium ‘Flore Pleno’)
Claire Krofft, Missouri Botanical Garden
This handsome lily adds brilliant pumpkin color to the garden. It boasts up to 25 flowers per stem, which also makes it a great cut flower. It maxes out at about 48 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Early to mid-summer
Flower Color: Orange with speckles like a tiger
2. Regale (Lilium ‘Regale’)
Eden Brothers
This stunning lily is super easy to grow, says Krofft. Make sure it gets plenty of full sun for best performance. The white 6 to 8-inch flowers are brushed with pink on the outside for a heavenly appearance. This heirloom variety is highly fragrant, with stalks that may be up to 6 feet tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Early summer to late summer
Flower Color: White with pink stripes on the outside of blooms
3. Casablanca (Lilium ‘Casablanca’)
Eden Brothers
This gorgeous Oriental lily has beautiful bright white flowers. It’s lightly fragrant and lasts a long time in the vase. But, as with all lilies, remove the anthers before bringing indoors so pollen won’t drop off and stain fabrics, such as tablecloths. If it does drop, use tape to lift pollen from surfaces because rubbing will just make it worse, says Sutton. This lily reaches heights of 36 to 48 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Early to mid summer
Flower Color: Pure white
4. Martagon Mix (Lilium ‘Martagon Mix’)
Eden Brothers
This striking category of lilies, also known as Turk’s cap lilies, have long stems and dainty flowers with petals that curve upwards. They’re truly magnificent when planted in masses, says Krofft. Some types can reach up to 72 inches tall by the second season.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun but will tolerate part shade
When It Blooms: Early to late summer
Flower Colors: Pink, orange, yellow, white, purple and dark red, sometimes with speckles
5. Mikaela (Lilium ‘Mikaela’)
Eden Brothers
These gorgeous double-petaled lilies have a light scent and make beautiful cut flowers. They’re also pollenless, which is why they’re ideal in bouquets. They’re sometimes called roselilies because of their exquisite, lush forms like a rose. They reach about 36 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid-summer
Flower Color: Pale pink and white
6. Samantha (Lilium asiatica)
This lightly fragrant Asiatic lily has double petals instead of stamens, so it’s pollenless. It reaches 36 inches tall, making it ideal to plant in the middle or back of mixed borders.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid to late summer
Flower Color: Dark pink with white edges
7. Stargazer (Lilium ‘Stargazer’)
ViliamM/Getty Images
The heavy fragrance of this Oriental lily is loved by many gardeners, says Sutton. It’s arguably one of the most recognizable and popular lilies to grow. These exceptionally beautiful flowers are ideal in pots or beds, and they spread readily in the right conditions. They reach about 36 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid-summer
Flower Color: Dark pink with white edges
8. Night Flyer (Lilium ‘Night Flyer’)
Burpee
This exotic-looking lily can reach 5 feet tall, so it’s amazing at the back of mixed borders. Beyond that, its deep red color is exceptional, making it a gorgeous addition to bouquets.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid-summer
Flower Color: Red-black
9. Garden Party (Lilium ‘Garden Party’)
Burpee
This is such a fun lily, with its creamy white petals accented by a yellow midrib that turns to red toward the end of each speckled petal. It stays petite for a lily, maxing out at about 24 inches tall, so it would be a good choice for pots.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid-summer
Flower Color: Creamy white with yellow and red markings and speckles
10. Red Velvet (Lilium ‘Red Velvet’)
Home Depot
These lilies make a statement in the garden. Slightly curving fragrant blooms with downward-facing petals boast a striking red, velvety appearance. They reach 36 to 48 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid-summer
Flower Color: Deep red
11. Soft Music (Lilium ‘Soft Music’)
Burpee
The double pink petals with tiny speckles make this charming lily irresistible. They also boast a strong fragrance that wafts on the breeze through the garden. As the plants mature in subsequent years, the flowers may reach up to a foot wide, with the plant reaching about 40 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid-summer
Flower Color: Pale pink
12. Netty’s Pride (Lilium ‘Netty’s Pride’)
Image from Claire Krofft, Missouri Botanical Garden
Burgundy petals with soft white tips make these handsome Asiatic lilies beautiful in any garden. The upward-facing flowers are a beautiful accent when mixed with other perennials. This lily reaches heights of 36 to 48 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Early to mid-summer
Flower Color: Maroon with creamy white tips
13. Big Smile (Lilium ‘Big Smile’)
Bluestone Perennials
Are these the cutest lilies ever, or what? They will definitely make you smile with their pure white flowers with deep red throats and yellow splashes. The plants are 36 to 48 inches tall at maturity.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid to late summer
Flower Color: White with red slashes and yellow centers
14. Scheherazade (Lilium ‘Scheherazade’)
Claire Krofft, Missouri Botanical Garden
Humongous blooms and fragrance make this one a showstopper in the garden. This lily is an Oriental hybrid, which can reach heights of 60 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Early to late summer
Flower Color: Reddish-pink with greenish edges
15. Apricot Fudge (Lilium ‘Apricot Fudge’)
Bluestone Perennials
This LA hybrid (Longiflorum-Asiatic lily) has a lovely, rounded form with double, upward-facing apricot flowers. It’s a beautiful border plant and makes for a wonderful cut flower. It maxes out at 36 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Early to late summer
Flower Color: Apricot
16. Claude Shride (Lilium ‘Claude Shride’)
With its nodding red flowers, the Martagon lily is an eye-catching addition to less-sunny spots (it does well in part shade, says Krofft). The arched petals make it especially appealing as the plant matures, showing off its many fragrant flowers on its tall stalks. It reaches 32 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid to late summer
Flower Color: Red with orange splashes
17. Black Beauty (Lilium ‘Black Beauty’)
Claire Krofft, Missouri Botanical Garden
Dark pink flowers with raspberry throats make this a stand-out in the late summer garden. These are a good lily to plant to extend your lily blooming season, says Krofft. This lily grows up to 60 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Late summer
Flower Color: Dark pink with raspberry throat and speckles
18. African Queen (Lilium ‘African Queen’)
Longfield Gardens
These large trumpet-shaped flowers are 6 to 8 inches long, making for a bright pop of color to mixed borders, says Krofft. They can grow up to 60 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid to late summer
Flower Color: Buttery yellow and raspberry
19. Conca d’Or (Lilium ‘Conca d’Or’)
White Flower Farm
Creamy blooms with a dark yellow center add sunny color to your borders. This lily is a hybrid between an Oriental and a trumpet lily with a long trumpet-like flower. The plant can reach heights of 36 to 48 inches tall.
Fast Facts
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
How Much Sun It Needs: Full sun
When It Blooms: Mid-summer
Flower Color: Creamy yellow with gold centers
