Plant field guide
Lily (Oriental)
Exotic-looking bulb with enormous fragrant flowers up to 10 inches across. Stargazer is the most famous variety. Powerful sweet perfume fills the garden.
Growing requirements
- Scientific name
- Lilium orientalis
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Height
- 24 in (61 cm) – 48 in (122 cm)
- Spread
- 8 in (20 cm) – 12 in (30 cm)
- Spacing
- 12 in (30 cm)
- Hardiness zones & minimum temperature
- USDA 4–9; average annual extreme minimum from -30°F (-34.4°C). Hardiness does not predict local frost dates.
- Difficulty
- moderate
Planting & seasonal timing
Northern Hemisphere planting months: not yet verified in our database.
Northern Hemisphere pruning months: October, November.
For the Southern Hemisphere, these seasonal windows shift approximately six months. Check your local frost forecast, soil temperature, and species requirements; calendar months are not a guarantee of planting safety.
Plant bulbs 6-8 inches deep. Needs excellent drainage - bulbs rot in wet soil. Stake tall varieties. Lily beetle is the main pest. Toxic to cats.
Pruning
Cut stems to ground after foliage turns brown in fall. Remove spent flowers but leave stem and leaves to feed bulb.
Fertilizer
Balanced or bloom booster
Spring when shoots emerge and after flowering
Mulch
3-4 inches of organic mulch to keep roots cool.