Lily, Oriental (Lilium spp.)
Lily, Oriental Plant Features
Oriental lily is one of the most dramatic, and fragrant, perennial flowers around for sunny gardens. The huge, star-shaped flowers appear in shades of pink, red, white, and yellow and add a fun touch to landscape beds, borders, and containers in late summer. They grow beautifully with Asiatic lilies (and bloom later), so mixing the two varieties can give you beautiful lily flowers for a couple of months.
Because Oriental lilies last a long time in bouquets, they're often used as cut flowers (if you can bear to take them out of the garden -- plant extra so you can enjoy them indoors and out!). Most varieties are also intensely fragrant.
Older Oriental lily varieties grow relatively tall, so they're best for the back of the border. Newer varieties have been bred to be shorter, so they fit better in the middle of the garden with plants such as garden phlox. Oriental lilies are hardy in Zones 5-9, but can often survive well in Zone 4 if mulched for the winter.
Check it out: More perennials for fragrance.
Because Oriental lilies last a long time in bouquets, they're often used as cut flowers (if you can bear to take them out of the garden -- plant extra so you can enjoy them indoors and out!). Most varieties are also intensely fragrant.
Older Oriental lily varieties grow relatively tall, so they're best for the back of the border. Newer varieties have been bred to be shorter, so they fit better in the middle of the garden with plants such as garden phlox. Oriental lilies are hardy in Zones 5-9, but can often survive well in Zone 4 if mulched for the winter.
Check it out: More perennials for fragrance.
Oriental lilies grow best in full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter. They're a little more finicky than their Asiatic cousins, and can take longer to get established and take off in the garden. Because they prefer cooler summers, it's helpful to spread several inches of mulch over the soil after they emerge in the spring. Water when the soil dries out; these lilies don't hold up well to drought.
Pruning Oriental lilies typically isn't necessary, but most gardeners like to cut the stems back in fall, after the first frost, to keep the garden looking tidy over the winter. Oriental lilies don't typically require dividing or other special care.
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Water
Moist
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Light
Outside: Sun
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Colors
Pink
Red
White
Yellow
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Special Features
Fragrant flowers/foliage
