Lilium

Common name: Garden Lily

Description: Garden lilies (Lilium) are among the most spectacular and fragrant of all summer-flowering bulbs, producing tall, elegant stems crowned with large, showy flowers in a wide range of colours including white, yellow, orange, pink, red, and bicolours. Many varieties carry an intense, sweet fragrance that can fill a garden on a summer evening. Lilies perform beautifully in borders and in containers, where they can be staged for maximum impact. Oriental lilies flower in midsummer with an especially powerful fragrance; Asiatic lilies are earlier, slightly less fragrant, and available in the widest colour range; Trumpet lilies are tall and imposing with large, funnel-shaped flowers.

Other benefits: spectacular large flowers; many varieties intensely fragrant; excellent as cut flowers; superb in containers; wide range of colours and heights available

Wildlife attraction: bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects attracted by the fragrance and nectar

Height & spread (approx.) at maturity: 60cm–1.5m x 20–30cm (varies by variety)

Position: full sun to partial shade; best with heads in sun and roots in cool shade; sheltered from strong winds

Soil pH: neutral to slightly acid (pH 6.0–7.0); well-drained, fertile soil; excellent in containers with good drainage

Moisture: moderate; water regularly in active growth; avoid waterlogging which causes bulb rot; reduce after flowering

Winter hardiness: most garden lilies fully hardy to -20°C; mulch bulbs in cold regions for added protection