There are so many lilies to love.
Lilies grow from bulbs and are a beautiful and complicated genus of herbaceous flowering plants. There are spectacular variations in their flower forms. They grow on plants which, in their shortest forms, are under two feet tall, or come in giant 6- to 8-foot tree varieties.
Not to be confused with many other flowers and plants with “lily” in the name like daylilies, peace lily, lily-of-the-valley, true lilies are from the Lilium genus of flowering plants. These are what we are discussing here today.
Due to their grace and ease, lilies have been cultivated and hybridized extensively. The result? An interesting gene pool of collectively outstanding flowers!
To attempt to simplify the fantastic lilies available, four categories of lily types are found below.
Keep in mind, there are still many other categories of lilies. Of each of these categories, there are also mixed cultivars. You may find Asiatic Trumpet Lilies, or Trumpet Oriental Lilies, just as examples.
This all works to our advantage. If ever there is an empty space or a single moment where something isn’t blooming in the lily garden, there will be a lily to fill it!
Asiatic Lilies
Bloom Time: Early Summer.
Flower Form: Shades range from white, yellow, orange, red, and burgundy in these upright-facing flowers that can be up to 6 inches (15 cm) across. An excellent cut flower, they are fragrance-free, making them a lovely choice to brighten any hospital or care home room.
Height: Just 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) tall.
Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9.
Best Varieties:
Trumpet Lilies
Bloom Time: Midsummer.
Flower Form: Strongly fragrant, these tall plants bear tubular flowers which can be 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) long. Petals are thick and waxy and come in soft color variations of white, cream, pink, coral, and soft yellows.
Height: 5 to 6 feet (150 to 180 cm) tall
Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9.
Best Varieties:
Tiger Lilies
Bloom Time: Late Summer.
Flower Form: Delicate pendulous flowers rise in alternating whorl pattern up stems in shades of bright orange to red. They stand out with their curled petals that are freckled and dappled in black spots with long protruding stamens with anthers coated in black pollen.
Height: 3 to 4 feet (90 to 120 cm)
Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8.
Oriental Lilies
Bloom Time: Late summer.
Flower Form: Star-like flowers open upward and outward in a wide range of pinks, burgundies, and whites. Petals are broad and often freckled, striped or have ruffled margins. An incredibly popular garden cut flower known for its beautiful, strong scent.
Height: 3 to 4 feet tall.
Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9.
Best Varieties:
You could create a full symphony orchestra of color by mixing bloom times and heights with a gorgeous spectrum of colors in the perennial border, just by planting lilies!