Lilies: everything to buy, plant & care for

Lilies are among the oldest ornamental plants. We have summarized everything important for you, from purchasing to planting and care.

The genus of lilies (Lilium) is one of the most magnificent of the flowering plants. Its elegant flowers appear from June to the first frost, depending on the species. Probably the best known of the species is the Madonna lily with its pure white petals. But lilies, with their 150 species and 2000 varieties, have much more to offer than the symbolic white lily blossom. In the right location and with a little care, lilies offer an unprecedented variety of flower colors and shapes.

Lilies: characteristics and origin

Lilies (Lilium) are a genus within the lily family (Liliaceae). The perennial plants have a bulb as a perennial organ. The lily retreats into this in autumn in order to survive the winter unscathed. The bulbous plants with their striking flowers have their origins in the Himalayas. From here they have settled areas in temperate and subtropical zones across the northern hemisphere. Its main area of ​​distribution is in China and Japan. Here the lily is still used today as a medicinal and foodstuff. Because apart from the trunk, all parts of most types of lily are edible. Also in Europe, especially in the Balkans and Caucasus, there are native species such as the Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) or the Turk's Union lily (Lilium martagon). In ancient Greece, the Madonna lily was the flower of Hera, one of the twelve Olympic deities and at the same time the wife and sister of Zeus. The lily is believed to have arisen from milk that was spilled when Hera was breastfeeding Hercules. Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, was so jealous of the purity of the flower that she shaped the pistil of the lily like a donkey phallus. In Christian symbolism, too, the lily is associated with purity because of its white flowers.

Lilies: the most beautiful and popular species

Not all lilies, like the Madonna lilies, have white petals. Within the 150 Lily species there are representatives whose fragrant flowers shine in white, green, yellow, orange or reddish to purple colors. Usually the inner bracts have brown to pink spots. The diversity does not end with the flower colors. The flowers can be trumpet-shaped, bowl-shaped, occasionally tubular or cup-shaped or almost closed. There are also so-called Turk's Union lilies, where the flower resembles a turban. The flowers are arranged individually or in groups in umbels or clusters. A few particularly beautiful species with examples of varieties are:

Tiger lily 'Flore Pleno': flowering period: July - August; Growth height over 1 m.

Oriental lily 'Scheherazade': flowering period: May - September; Growth height over 1.5 m.

Trumpet Lily 'African Queen': flowering period: July - August; Growth height over 1 m.

Hardy lilies

Some species of lily are hardy with us with a simple winter protection, if it does not snow or rain permanently. Most of the lilies that are commercially available as hardy belong to the Asian hybrids. The varieties have many star-shaped flowers that will turn your garden into a sea of ​​flowers from June to July. The plants reach heights of up to one meter and prefer a sunny to partially shaded location with fresh, humus-rich and well-drained soil. The varieties 'Nettys Pride', 'Grand Cru' and 'Mapira' are particularly robust. More hardy as well as particularly beautiful Lily species and the ideal lilies to grow in pots can be found in this article.

Buying lilies: guides and where to buy

Since lilies have very sensitive bulbs, it is important to assess the planting material. Take a good look at the onions before you buy them. But not only the general condition of the onion should be correct. The genus Lilium has 150 species, which differ in their demands on the location, winter hardiness and height of growth. You should avoid impulse purchases. It is better to take the time to determine the location of your lily beforehand and, above all, to adapt the selected species and variety to it. There is guaranteed to be the one lily that suits you perfectly. You might even find your dream lily while browsing on one of the websites of dealers and growers recommended by us:

• Lily Ark
• Cebule.de
• Verberghe flowerbulbs

More advice and the most important questions to ask yourself before Lily purchase can be found in our special article.

Planting lilies: expert tips

Enjoying the splendor of lilies in your own garden or in a pot on the balcony is not as difficult as the later imposing sight suggests. Simply planted in the bed or in the pot, lily bulbs or pre-grown plants will quickly bring you to the long-awaited flowering dream. The only thing to note is when, where and how the lilies are planted.

Planting lilies: the perfect location

Lilies need a sunny spot where they can bathe their flowers in the sun, but keep their roots in cool shade. Therefore, they are happy about the shade that low companion plants give. Large species of lily such as panther (Lilium pardalinum) or tree lilies make an excellent background planting in the perennial bed. Here they are best placed between simple bedding partners. A mulch layer made of compost or bark humus is an alternative. But lilies don't just need shady roots to thrive:

• Location: sunny to partial shade; cool with light shade
• Soil: loose, well-drained, moist, humic
• Soil pH: Slightly alkaline or slightly acidic

The onion plants rot quickly when they are waterlogged. Therefore, when planting, lay out a drainage layer and mix into heavy, loamy soil by mixing in sand or gravel into the soil. The information on the soil and location are very general. The demands on the soil pH in particular differ greatly from species to species. Turk's Union lilies, for example, prefer calcareous soil, whereas American wild species need calcareous soil. When purchasing an onion or preferred lily, it is best to always inquire about the exact type and variety so that you can respond to the needs of the plant accordingly.

Planting lilies: timing and procedure

Lilies can begin with you as bulbs or come to you as a preferred plant. We have already discussed how to plant onions in the section "How to propagate lilies: Instructions". Early plants are planted in the bed from mid-May. It is best to lay out a drainage layer at the bottom of the planting hole here as well.

Plant lilies in the pot

Small varieties such as 'Apricot Fudge' or 'Mona Lisa' are ideal for growing in pots. These look particularly beautiful when you plant them as a group with a planting distance of about 10 cm in a nice large pot. However, it cannot be just any pot. The ideal home for this pretty bulbous plant looks like this:

• Minimum diameter: 15 cm
• Minimum height: 20 cm
• Pot with a drainage hole
• Substrate: potting soil (slightly sandy, humus and rich in nutrients)

Place the pot with your lily in a bright, sheltered place where the lily is not exposed to the blazing midday sun. The potted lilies not only look good on the balcony, they also leave a lasting impression in the living room. Lilies have no place in cat households. If the house tiger nibbles on the plant, this can lead to kidney failure. In our article "Lilies: Poisonous or not?”You can find out more about this.

Propagating lilies: instructions

There are two ways to propagate lilies. Generative propagation via seeds usually requires two specimens. Because lilies are mostly foreign pollinators. After pollination of the flowers, capsule fruits form, which can be harvested in autumn. The seeds contained are stored in the refrigerator in the dark until sowing. In species with delayed germination, the seeds must be stored for at least a year before they can germinate. From January to the end of February, the seeds that have been harvested or bought are planted. Lilies are propagated from seeds as follows:

• Let the seeds soak in water for 1 to 3 days
• Sow about 1 cm deep in the seed tray (dark germinator)
• Temperature: 15 - 20 ° C
• Always keep the soil moist
• Germination time: up to 1 year
• May: Transplant the young plants

The purchased, dried seeds have to soak in the water a little longer. A day should be enough for the seeds from the refrigerator. Remember that with hybrid varieties it is not possible to reproduce true-to-variety using seeds. But who knows, maybe your very own strain will be created for it. However, it takes up to five years for the laboriously raised seeds to show their faces and flowers for the first time.

Plants that are vegetatively obtained from brood onions or onion scales are guaranteed to flower a little faster and are guaranteed to be true-to-variety. If you want to use a scale for reproduction, part of the onion base must remain on the scale. The small bulbs usually form at the base of the stem. The daughter bulbs or scales are removed during the resting phase, when the plant has withdrawn into its bulb. When planting directly in the bed, the best planting time for winter-hardy varieties is in autumn (September). However, planting in the spring until March is also possible. The procedure for propagating lilies over onions is as follows:

• Planting hole: 2 to 3 times as deep as the bulb is long
• Plant spacing: 15 - 20 cm
• Mix in equal parts of the excavated earth with sand and ripe compost
• Lay out a drainage layer of gravel or potsherds on the ground
• Lay out a layer of soil mix
• Place the onion in the planting hole with the point upwards
• Fill the planting hole with sand until the onion is covered
• Fill the planting hole with soil mixture

It is even better, and essential for non-winter-hardy varieties, if you prefer the onions in the pot before moving them to the bed. The pot with the onion is placed in a dark and cool, but frost-free room until spring. From February the onions can then move to a lighter place. When there is no longer any risk of frost, the preferred bulb is planted in the bed. In a few species such as the trumpet lily Lilium puerense or the tiger lilies (Lilium lancifolium) the bulbs form in the axils of the leaves. These bulbs are planted directly in the bed as early as August.

Note: The bulbs of the lilies lack the protective outer layer. Therefore, do not store the onions for too long as they dry out quickly.

Maintaining lilies

If you have prepared the soil well before planting and make sure that the roots of the pretty Plants not underwater, lilies will live happy lives in yours with a little care Garden. After flowering, wilted inflorescences should be cleaned so that the plant does not invest valuable energy in seed formation. The rest of the faded lily is left until the leaves have wilted. During the wilting period, lilies shift nutrients from the leaves to the bulb for the winter. If your lily starts to lose its flowering power after a few years, it will help to dig up and move the bulb. With the right care, your lily will return to its usual strength. Helpful tips on Caring for lilies see this article.

Water and fertilize lilies

Lilies are extremely susceptible to stem rot, so you should avoid waterlogging through incorrect watering. So that your lily will delight you with beautiful flowers for a long time, it should be watered in such a way that the soil is always moist, but never wet. Water regularly, even daily in summer. In winter there is no watering in the bed. Fortunately, the lily not only needs water, but also an adequate supply of nutrients. In order to guarantee this, fertilization is carried out once a year before the budding and once during the budding with low-nitrogen complete fertilizer in the irrigation water. Use an organic fertilizer variant, especially for plants that rarely need fertilization. The nutrients stay longer in the soil and a depot effect is created. In addition, organic fertilizers are more environmentally friendly than mineral variants.

Care for the lilies in the pot

When it comes to caring for lilies in pots, it is primarily a question of a little skill in the water supply. In general, the following applies to the care of potted lilies:

• Watering: Regularly; daily in summer, but no waterlogging
• Fertilizing: Every 4 weeks from June
• Cutting: cleaning out withered inflorescences; Cut to above the earth after the wilt in autumn
• Winter: overwinter indoors; water if necessary

Successfully overwintering lilies

There are both hardy and non-hardy species of the genus Lilium. Accordingly, the type determines the accommodation during the cold season. If the lilies are not hardy in the bed, the bulbs must be dug up after the first frost and stored in a dark, cool (15-20 ° C) and airy place. Hardy lilies can overwinter in the bed. Pile up some soil at the base of the stem and cover the lilies with a protective layer of straw, brushwood, or twigs. Potted lilies are best stored in a frost-free, dark basement or garage. Pot lilies also need to be watered during winter when there is a risk of dehydration. More details on the right one Wintering of lilies You will find here.

Lilies after winter

After winter, when there is no longer any risk of frost, the protective layer of lilies that have overwintered in the bed is removed and onions that have overwintered inside are buried again. From February onwards, lilies that have overwintered in pots are placed in a lighter place and can be left outside when it is no longer freezing.

Haven’t found the right lily for you yet? You will find the most beautiful in our overview article Lily species listed.