Lilium

Lilium, more commonly known as true lilies, are herbaceous flowering bulb plants with prominent regal flowers.  Lilies are a great choice for adding graceful elegance and a magnificent fragrance to any garden. With varieties that bloom from early summer all the way through fall, choosing a blend of early, mid-season, and late variety lilies will allow you to enjoy magnificent blooms until winter's first frost.  Whites, yellows, oranges, pinks, reds, and purples are common colors for lily blooms and are often presented with markings like spots and brush strokes.  For a lily to be considered a true lily, it must have only one stem or shoot that grows from a bulb.  The four main flower shapes among the multitude of species are trumpet, bowl, recurved, and funnel.  Depending on the species, lilies can be a great choice for woodland gardens, rock gardens, or even indoor containers.  

Sun exposure can be a little fickle when it comes to lilies; they want lots of sunshine on their foliage, but need mulch around their base to protect their roots from heat damage.  Well-draining soil is essential for lilies as they are susceptible to root rot.  Many lily varieties prefer an acidic to neutral soil pH, but there are some that should be planted in alkaline soil.  Look up your lily variety to find the specific soil pH range it grows best in.  Keeping the soil moist during the growing cycle is a necessary component of lily care, and it is best to water generously during the summer months.  Mulch-cover can help to keep the soil moist and cool.  Applying a high-potassium liquid fertilizer twice per month after initial planting and up until 6 weeks after flowering is advised.  Once the flowers have begun to fade, they may be clipped off, but take care not to remove any leaves.  The foliage should remain until it has died and turned brown, as its presence helps to nourish the bulb for the next growing season.  As winter approaches, add 5 in / 13 cm of mulch over the lily to allow the roots to continue growing while the surrounding earth begins to freeze.  Let the mulch remain until the last hard frost of spring, and gradually remove it as new growth begins to shoot up.  After 3-4 years of growth, the bulb may be dug up and separated into individual clumps, then replanted in separate spaces.  

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3-6 hours of sun per day, with protection from intense mid-day sun

Water sparingly, allowing the mix to nearly dry out between watering.

Lilium

Lilium

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