There are so many lilies to love.
Lilies grow from bulbs and are a beautiful and complex genus of herbaceous flowering plants. There are dramatic variations in the shape of its flowers. They grow on plants that, in their shortest form, are less than two feet tall or come in the form of giant tree varieties 6 to 8 feet tall.
Not to be confused with many other flowers and plants whose name is “lily”, such as daylilies, peace lily, lily of the valley, true lilies come from the Lily Genus of flowering plants. These are the things we are discussing here today.
Due to their grace and ease, lilies have been widely bred and hybridized. The result? An interesting genetic pool of exceptional flowers collectively!
To try to simplify the fantastic lilies available, here are four categories of lily varieties.
Keep in mind that there are many other categories of lilies. There are also mixed cultivars of each of these categories. You can find Asian trumpet lilies or trumpet lilies as examples.
All of this works in our favour. If there is an empty spot or a time when something isn’t blooming in the water lily garden, there will be a water lily to fill it!
asiatic lilies
Flowering period: Beginning of summer.
flower shape: Shades range from white, yellow, orange, red and burgundy in these upright flowers that can measure up to six inches across. Excellent cut flowers, they are fragrance free making them a great choice to brighten up any hospital room or nursing home.
Height: Only 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) long.
hardiness zone: 4 to 9
Best varieties:
Asiatic Lily Tango Netty Pride
Brunello Asiatic Lily
Grand Cru Asiatic Lilytrumpet lily
Flowering period: In the middle of summer.
flower shape: These tall plants are very fragrant and have tubular flowers that can reach 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) long. The petals are thick and waxy and come in soft color variations of white, cream, pink, coral and soft yellow.
Height: 5 to 6 feet (150 to 180 cm) tall
hardiness zone: 5 to 9
Best varieties:
Beaumontia trumpet lily
Chinese white trumpet lily
White Trumpet Lily Regal Albumtiger lilies
Flowering period: Last summer.
flower shape: Delicate drooping flowers rise in alternating whorls on stems in shades ranging from bright orange to red. They are distinguished by their curly petals, freckled and speckled with black dots, with long protruding stamens with anthers covered in black pollen.
Height: 3 to 4 feet (90 to 120 cm)
hardiness zone: 3 to 8.
oriental lilies
Flowering period: Last summer.
flower shape: The star-shaped flowers bloom and open in a wide variety of shades of pink, burgundy and white. The petals are wide and often have freckles, stripes or wavy edges. An incredibly popular garden cut flower known for its beautiful strong fragrance.
Height: 3 to 4 feet high.
hardiness zone: 5 to 9
Best varieties:
Eastern star lily
vertiginous oriental lily
Oriental lily of CasablancaYou can create a complete symphony of color by mixing bloom times and heights with a beautiful spectrum of color in the perennial border, just by planting lilies!