Renowned for their big , daze flowers and strong , odorous smell , lily are adequate character elegance and flamboyance – and make a delicious increase to any garden .

evenly at home in containers , cottage , press cutting and perennial gardens , many species also make a striking statement in naturalize hayfield and woodland fringes .

These perennial flowering bulbs multiply readily and are prosperous to give care for in the garden . And breeder extend to develop raw cross every year , better performance and delivering an teemingness of vivid colors , fragrancy , and build .

White Madonna lilies in bloom.

Photo by Matt Suwak.

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And with almost 100 metal money and century of hybrid , these bountiful bulbs can be enjoyed from the midriff of spring justly through to tardy summertime – allow you roll in the hay which 1 to pick out !

That ’s where this scout comes in handy . With so many delicious options to choose from , make out a little something of their characteristic can ensure greater use and succeeder .

A vertical picture with a cluster of white and yellow bicolored lilies growing in the garden on a soft focus green background. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white text.

Photo by Matt Suwak.

connect us now to learn about the nine lily Divisions and the different characteristic of each radical .

Along the room I ’ll partake in some of my favorite cultivars . You ’ll shortly see why these heavenly heyday need to incur a home in your garden .

Here ’s what I ’ll plow :

A collage of photos showing different types and colors of lily flowers.

27 Favorite Lily Varieties

The register is used to tote up new hybrids , and has sorted species , race , and hybrids into nine different “ divisions . ”

These divisions are based on numerous similarities such as flower aspect and form , outgrowth habits , parentage , and so on .

And while the general guardianship for all type of lily is basically the same , their salad days times and characteristics are distinguishable and varying .

A vertical picture with a cluster of white and yellow bicolored lilies growing in the garden on a soft focus green background. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white text.

For the home gardener , Divisions I and VII are the most popular , the Asian and Oriental Hybrids .

But the Trumpets in Division VI and the opulent , new hybrids in Division VIII , like the Asiapets and Orienpets , are extremely rewarding as well .

Bulbs in these divisions can be easily obtained at your garden center , online , and from mail order catalogues .

A close up of the inside of a pink and white lily flower showing the dark red pollen on the stamens on a soft focus background.

Others may be bred specifically for commercial cultivator , or not breed at all .

For rarer specimens , you could prove the seed exchange at theNorth American Lily Society ( NALS ) , your local garden lodge , horticultural schools , or wild flower centers as potential sources for bulb or source .

A Note of Caution

All parts of the lily , including the pollen , are extremely toxic to cats . adjoin your veterinarian immediately if you suspect that your cat has ingested any part of the plant life .

Hybrids and Species: The Nine Divisions

Here are the nine divisions as draft by the RHS . I ’ve highlighted some of my pet diverseness in each segmentation and on some of them , I ’ve provided links to our trusted affiliate .

Division I: Asiatic Hybrids

Asiatic hybrids are the event of the crossbreeding of 12 dissimilar Asiatic species .

The mostly non - fragrant blooms descend in a wide variety of colour from soft pastels to drench , tropic hue – and can be square color , or have contrasting streak and freckles .

The four- to six - column inch peak can face down , out , or upward with an undecided prime profile , and you’re able to expect up to 20 flower per stem from ripe bulbs .

A vertical picture of bicolored lily flowers with greenish yellow petals and a dark red center, surrounded by foliage, with rocks in soft focus in the background.

plant grow from two to five substructure improbable and are among the easiest to grow – stark for the novice gardener .

Asian are well suited to containers , beds , border , and cutting garden . Hardy inUSDA Hardiness Zones4 to 9 , they flower in late leaping to mid - summertime .

Here are some popular cultivars :

A vertical picture of an orange tiger lily flower with dark spots growing in the garden on a soft focus background.

‘ Heartstrings ’ is a spectacular bicolored variety that sports a lightly speckled yellow center giving way to deep pink tip .

‘ Heartstrings ’

With five to seven bright blooms on rich stems , this variety tops out at four feet marvellous and flower in early summer .

A close up of a cluster of red lily flowers, some of them open and others still in bud phase, surrounded by green foliage, fading to soft focus in the background.

Bulbs are available in bags of three bulbsat Walmart .

With eye - catching blooms of cryptical purple that fades to creamy white tip , the upwards - facing flowers of ‘ Netty ’s Pride ’ appear in late spring or early summer , on three- to four - foot - tall prow .

‘ Netty ’s Pride ’

A close up of the bicolored ‘Heartstrings’ flower with a yellow colored center that gradually becomes pink at the edges, pictured on a white background.

‘ Netty ’s Pride ’ adds drama and contrast to the late leaping garden , and adds interest to cut flower arrangement .

witness bags of three bulbs availableat Burpee .

The dark ‘ Night Rider ’ is a cross between an Asiatic and a cornet lily and has morose , almost bleak petals on its up - facing blooms .

A close up of the ‘Netty’s Pride’ cultivar, an Asiatic hybrid lily with dramatic deep purple and cream petals, with foliage in soft focus in the background.

‘ Night Rider ’

‘ Night Rider ’ blooms from other summer on three- to four - foot root word .

you could find incandescent lamp in purse of five , 10 , or 25available at Eden Brothers .

A close up of a deep purple, almost black flower, belonging to the ‘Night Rider’ variety, surrounded by green foliage.

bloom in late fountain or early summer , ‘ Rosella ’s Dream ’ has a pink , gently - freckle throat that fades to creamy - white with bright pinkish tips and edge .

‘ Rosella ’s Dream ’

A thick salmagundi , ‘ Rosella ’s Dream ’ grows up to two to three foot tall making it idealistic for a moony display in pots or containers .

A close up of the delicate pink and white flower of the ‘Rosella’s Dream’ Asiatic hybrid lily.

you could find bags of five bulbsavailable at Burpee .

break out the rich , two - tone blooms of ‘ Starlette , ’ with gorgeous ruby red petals and orange tips and throat .

‘ Starlette ’

A close up of a flower of the ‘Starlette’ variety of lily with dark red petals and yellow tips and yellow centers, surrounded by green foliage on a soft focus background.

A fecund bloomer in betimes to mid summertime , ‘ Starlette ’ maturate three to four metrical unit grandiloquent on robust stalk and makes a lifelike statement in the garden .

purse of five , 10 , or 25 bulbs areavailable at Eden Brothers .

Division II: Martagon Hybrids

Turk’s-cap , aka “ Turk ’s Cap ” liliesare native to Europe and Asia , and hybrids are celebrated for their tall , four- to six - foot stalks laden with buds – sometimes as many as 50 per stem !

The dependent flower are fragrant and feature extremely recurved petal that measure two to four in .

uncommitted in shades of burgundy , mauve , orange , pinkish , purple , blanched , and yellow , the petals are often adorned with lentigo .

A close up of small red lily flowers growing in the garden on a green soft focus background.

Plants flower from mid to late summer and are the most nicety liberal of all lilies – Martagons do best in light , sink in spectre or full dawn sun with afternoon shade .

plant life in groups of three or more for a superb increase to woodland fringes , wildflower meadows , and in large container or repeated bed .

Turk’s-cap can take a mates of age to settle down in before they really take off , so be patient – they ’re well worth the time lag .   Hardy in zone 4 to 8 .

A close up of a purple Martagon lily flower, with the characteristic “Turk’s cap” shape pictured on a green soft focus background.

Specific cultivar like ‘ Cranberry Dancer , ’ ‘ Orange Marmalade , ’ and ‘ Rose Tattoo ’ are some of the top performers , but they can be hard to receive .

The easiest way to add flowers from this division to your garden is to bribe a mixed pocketbook of bulbs .

Martagon Mix

A mixture of different colored lily flowers planted next to each other in a garden, with trees in soft focus in the background.

Eden Brothershas a pretty blending of miscellaneous Martagons in bags of three , six , or 12 bulb .

Division III: Candidum (Euro-Caucasian) Hybrids

The most far-famed works in this division is the graceful Madonna lily , beloved for its stark white trumpets and dulcet , intoxicating scent .

aboriginal to the Balkan Peninsula and the Middle East , cross are also usable in light pastel shades of mauve , orange , pinkish , and yellow . Petals often feature a contrasting or dark shadiness on the back side .

The two- to three - inch trumpets confront outwards in clusters of up to 20 blooms per stem . Plants maturate three to four foot magniloquent and bloom in late spring to mid - summer . Hardy in zone 3 to 9 .

A close up of a cluster of white lily flowers with yellow pollen, in bright sunshine on a green soft focus background.

This is a small partition and very few bulbs are cultivated for the commercial market . ‘ June Fragrance ’ and ‘ Moonlight Madonna ’ are noted cultivar .

The other bloom ‘ June Fragrance ’ is a cross betweenL. candidum salonikaeandL. monadelphum , and bears creamy - white flowers in late spring .

The prime have a strong , angelic sweetness and stems grow up to four feet tall .

A close up of the bright orange flowers of the ‘Nankeen’ lily pictured growing in the garden with foliage in soft focus in the background,

The ‘ Nankeen ’ lily , L.xtestaceum , bears scandalmongering to pallid orange nodding blooms from belated spring .

fore grow up to four feet tall , and produce 12 to 18 sweet scented flowers .

Division IV: American Hybrids

Derived from metal money aboriginal to North America , these hybrids feature two- to three - inch , nod or outbound flowers with flared tips or recurved petals .

bloom in late spring to former summer , these charming efflorescence typically do in deep hue of orange , red , or chickenhearted .

The nod blooms are often decorate with conspicuous freckles on the throats or flower petal and plants have five to 20 bud per stem .

A vertical close up picture of a lily flower with yellow petals flecked with red spots and bright pink tips contrasting with the green soft focus background.

Plants in this part develop three to eight feet tall with a low-cal , graceful bod and form prominent colony when left undisturbed .

Ideal for any informal options , such as cottage gardens , hayfield , wild flower gardens , and woodland outskirt . Hardy in zone 3 to 9 .

The ‘ Bellingham ’ group of cultivars in bluff shades of orange , red , and yellow are the most popular of American crossbreed .

A close up of two white lily flowers with yellow pollen in the center, pictured in bright sunshine on a green soft focus background.

Division V: Longiflorum Hybrids

Longiflorum hybrids come from mintage aboriginal to Japan and Taiwan and feature longsighted trumpets of white or wan pastel shade .

Thehighly fragrant , outward facing flowers are five to seven in long with 12 to 15 heyday per stem and spring up two to three feet high .

plant bloom in mid to late summer and are hardy in Zones 4 to 8 . The familiar Easter lily , L. longiflorum , blooms in early spring only because it is forced .

A close up of the beautiful white blooms of a lily flower on a soft focus dark background.

An excellent undercut flower , these crossbreed multiply rapidly and make a good improver to perennial beds while midget varieties are ideal for containers .

‘ White Heaven ’ has arrant white , horn - determine flowers with a light yellow centre and a finespun sweet fragrance .

flower in other summer , with three to six delicate bloom on the two- to three - foot - tall stem , ‘ White Heaven ’ is idealistic for container growing .

A vertical close up picture of lily flowers, bright yellow on the inside of the petals and light purple on the outside, contrasting with the dark green foliage in soft focus in the background.

Division VI: Trumpet and Aurelian Hybrids

horn and aurelian hybrids are breed from two Formosan coinage producing tall , elegant plant with up to 25 large flowers per theme .

The big flower grow six to 10 inch and look out or upward .

useable in colors of yellow green , peach , pink , purple , bloodless , and yellowish , petals often have a contrast throat or color bar . Flower form can be bowlful - form , flat , or undetermined with reflexed petal pourboire .

A close up of the apricot orange flower of the ‘African Queen’ lily growing in the garden with green foliage in soft focus in the background.

These fragrant plant uprise three to six feet tall and bloom in mid - summer . Hardy in Zones 4 to 9 .

The following cultivars showcase the bombastic , sporty flowers .

‘ African Queen ’ is a fragrant variety , with six- to eight - inch apricot colored blooming that appear in midsummer .

A close up of the trumpet lily flower ‘Regale’ with creamy white petals and a yellow throat pictured on a soft focus green background.

A winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society , ‘ African Queen ’ makes delicious cut flowers as well as adding pursuit to the garden .

‘ African Queen ’

‘ African Queen ’ grows to a meridian of four to six feet , with 15 to 20 flowers per stem .

A close up of the bright pink and yellow flower of the ‘Stargazer’ lily, pictured in bright sunshine with foliage in the background.

Bags of three bulb areavailable at Burpee .

‘ Regale ’ produces large trumpet blooms in bloodless with a yellow throat , and a brightness pinkish hue on the outside of the petals .

‘ Regale ’

A close up of three flowers of the ‘Casablanca’ lily. The creamy white petals contrast with the deep green foliage. The background is a garden scene in soft focus.

produce 10 to 12 flowers on three- to four - feet high bow , this sort is a splendid example of a trump lily .

cup of tea containing three bulbs areavailable at Burpee .

Division VII: Oriental Hybrids

Often found in florists ’ nosegay for their long - endure beauty and fragrance , Oriental hybrids are hybridized from specie native to Japan .

The extravagant flowers can measure up to nine inches and hail in shades of burgundy , pink , purple , or white and often showcase contrasting color bar and freckle .

Stems get up to eight peak per stem and grow two to seven feet tall . Orientals bloom in mid to late summertime .

A close up of a deep pink flower with white edging of the ‘Dizzy’ lily on a soft focus background.

A superb , showy flower for the cut or perennial garden and tumid container . Hardy in Zones 3 to 8 .

With delicate , whitish - white bloom it ’s easy to see how ‘ Casablanca ’ get an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993 . democratic with florist for use in marriage ceremony posy , ‘ Casablanca ’ has a light , sweet scent .

‘ Casablanca ’

A close up of ‘Garden Party’ lilies growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

Also known as ‘ Casa Blanca , ’ this variety produces six to eight flowers on three- to four - feet - tall stems and blooms in midsummer .

Find five , 10 , or 25 ‘ Casablanca ’ bulbsat Eden Brothers .

With huge white to pale - pink blooms , promising flushed stripe , and scarlet freckle , ‘ Dizzy ’ will adorn your garden with her sweet fragrant flowers from summer solstice .

A close up of a double-petalled ‘Magic Star’ lily growing in the garden with soft pink and white blooms with dark pink bands, surrounded by foliage in soft focus in the background.

‘ Dizzy ’

produce up to four foot tall , these bloom make delicious cutting blossom

you could find bags of three bulbsavailable at Burpee .

A close up of a ‘Playtime’ lily growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

‘ Garden Party ’ sports nine - inch flowers with creamy yellowish - orange centre of attention that fade to whiten at the edges .

‘ Garden Party ’

exquisitely freckle with dingy blood-red spots , shadow ‘ Garden Party ’ maturate to a height of two foot and blooms prolifically in late summertime .

A close up of a delicate pink lily flower with unusual double petals, of the ‘Soft Music’ variety, on a soft focus background.

find oneself handbag of three bulbsavailable at Burpee .

‘ Lotus Beauty ’ is pure white with tiny benighted freckles and a delicate pinkish flush . This double anthesis diversity is pollen- and fragrance - spare .

Blooming in mid- to tardy summertime ‘ Lotus Beauty ’ get to a mature top of two and a half to three and a half feet .

A close up of the ‘Stargazer’ lily with white and pink petals, pictured in the garden on a dark background.

You ca n’t help falling in sexual love with the bubblegum - pinkish petal , sick pink throat , and lily-white pictoee edging of ‘ Lotus Wonder . ’

This one is a bivalent - flowered variety and the sturdy stem develop to two and a one-half to three and half feet improbable .

Intensely fragrant , ‘ Lotus Wonder ’ will get blooming in mid- to tardy summer , and add colour to your early fall garden .

A close up of an orange and red Orienpet lily growing in the garden pictured on a dark soft focus background.

‘ Lovely Day ’ is another jazzy , fragrant variety , with creamy white flower petal and piano pink vividness bars .   The slimly ruffled blooms are freckled and seem from mid- to late summer .

crown out at two to three pes tall , this sort is ideal for container grow .

This spectacular double lily has a sweet fragrance and an abundance of frilly pink petals with glum ruby chevron and lightheaded freckling .

A close up of a person holding a huge ‘Big Brother’ flower, with large white and yellow petals, fading to soft focus in the background.

‘ Magic Star ’

‘ Magic Star ’ is ideal for make a focal point in the garden and the luscious blush emerge in midsummer on three - feet - tall stems .

you’re able to add some magic to your garden with plants availablefrom Burpee .

A close up of the bright red flower of the ‘Corleone’ lily showing deep red petals that gradually fade to a scarlet red at the edges, pictured on a white background.

big white freckled blooms with a golden - sensationalistic throat that transforms into a brilliant blood-red band establish ‘ Playtime ’ quite the showstopper .

‘ Playtime ’

sweet - scented , ‘ Playtime ’ flowers in mid to late summer on three- to four - foot stems .

A close up square image of colorful Orienpet lilies growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

you’re able to find medulla in packages of threeavailable at Walmart .

‘ Soft Music ’ is a lovely shell pink , double hybrid that ’s sweetly scented and pollen free – the immense 12 - inch blooms are fantastic for corsage .

‘ Soft Music ’

A close up of a small child underneath a tall lily stem with white flowers of the ‘Giant OT Zambesi’ variety, pictured in light sunshine in the garden.

grow on robust three- to four - feet - tall root word , ‘ Soft Music ’ will ornament your garden from midsummer into early tumble .

Bulbs can bepurchased at Burpee .

One of the most popular and well - get it on Oriental loan-blend , ‘ Stargazer ’ was introduced in the seventies by hybridizer Mr. Leslie Woodriff , and is a cross betweenL. auratumandL. speciosum .

A close up of a double petalled tiger lily with bright orange, slender petals with dark spots, pictured on a green soft focus background.

‘ Stargazer ’

Upward - confront , beautiful light to crimson pink , gently freckled blooms appear in midsummer . Each three- to four - human foot stalk produce six to eight fragrant heyday .

you may find old bag of five , 10 , or 25 bulbsat Eden Brothers .

A large tiger lily plant growing in the garden with large orange flowers flecked with dark spots, in bright sunshine with trees and blue sky in the background.

Division VIII: All Other Hybrids

This segmentation contains hybrids not cut through in the other divisions and admit many popular interdivisional cultivars .

Most coarse are the LA hybrids ( Longiflorum x Asiatic ) , OT hybrids ( Oriental x Trumpet ) , OAO Hybrids ( Oriental x Asiatic x Oriental ) , and LO Hybrids ( Longiflorum x Oriental ) .

Highly fragrant , flower colors range from bold , intense chromaticity to delicate pastel and can have contrasting colour streak or throats with or without freckle . industrial plant sizes vary as do flower form and directivity .

A spectacular display of pink and white lilies growing over a white wooden fence, contrasting with green foliage in the background.

Typically , plant are hardy in Zones 3 to 9 or 4 to 8 .

These hybrids are well suited for large container , bungalow and press cutting gardens , perennial beds , and naturalized area .

‘ liberal crony ’ can keep an eye on your garden , with his vast creamy - snowy and yellowish blush .

‘ bountiful Brother ’

This Orienpet will uprise up to five foundation magniloquent on robust stems and heyday in mid- to late summertime .

Packages of two bulb areavailable at Walmart .

‘ Corleone ’ is an LA hybrid ( Longiflorum x Asiatic ) with bright red to deep burgundy blooms and will bring a easy fragrance as well as color to your garden .

‘ Corleone ’

With heavy flowers and sturdy stems , ‘ Corleone ’ will grow to four foot tall , and makes excellent cut flowers .

you’re able to add these blood - red bloom to your garden with bulbsavailable at Walmart .

The Giant OT Mix is a ingathering of striking Orienpet ( OT ) cultivar sporting big blooms in a sort of colouring , all with a heavenly scent .

Giant OT Mix

Blooming prolifically from mid to late summertime , the rich stems can develop up to six foot grandiloquent .

you’re able to nibble up bags of five , 10 , or 20 bulbsfrom Eden Brothers .

‘ Giant OT ‘ Zambesi ’ is another Orienpet with large , creamy white flowers with gently ruffled edges .

Giant OT ‘ Zambesi ’

This miscellanea grows to a fledged height of up to eight invertebrate foot marvellous , and blooms in mid to recent summertime .

you may bring ‘ Zambesi ’ to your garden with bags of bulbsavailable at Eden Brothers .

Division IX: All True Species

The final radical contain all honest species and their subspecies as well as their varieties and cultivar – excluding those found in Division V.

Species lilies often have a delicate appearing and come in a kind of chassis and sizes .

Some are easy cultivated , while others can be stubborn for household culture – a number of growing experience will compensate off before trying coinage bulb . Bloom time for species ranges from early to late summertime .

L. auratumvar.platyphyllum‘Gold Band ’ has vast bloodless blooms with recondite yellow bar and a light freckling of lustrous red spots . The nine - in peak appear in mid to late summer .

To add a chip of drama in the garden , ‘ Flore Pleno ’ is a duple Panthera tigris lily , L. lancifolium , and has the characteristic orange coloring with dark freckle , but with dual petals .

‘ Flore Pleno ’

Blooming in mid- to late summer , the fragrant ‘ Flore Pleno ’ produces up to 25 blossom on six - fundament - marvellous stems .

Find bulbs in bags of five , 10 , or 25available at Eden Brothers .

A hybrid ofL. tigrinum , ‘ Splendens ’ is a prolific bloomer . This unscented Panthera tigris lily has downward face flowers in smart orange with disgraceful freckle .

‘ Splendens ’

Blooming in later summer through early descent , mature medulla oblongata can bring about up to 25 flowers on the three- to four - feet - magniloquent fore .

Packages of three or six light bulb areavailable at Eden Brothers .

How They Grow!

As you consider the nine divisions of lilies , can you show any of them sunning themselves in your garden ? Be sure to look into out ourguide to growing liliesfor more entropy .

For easy , dependable results , choose cultivars from Divisions I , VI , VII , and VIII .

These are the Asiatics , Orientals , Trumpets , and interdivisional hybrids like Asiapets and Orienpets – simple to develop , they ’re also highly dependable and pleasurable !

And for more information ongrowing flowersin your garden , you ’ll call for these guides next :

Photos by Lorna Kring and Matt Suwak © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED . ware photos via Burpee , Eden Brothers , Home Depot , and Walmart . See our TOSfor more details . Originally published March 18 , 2020 . Last updated February 3 , 2023 . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock . With additional composition and editing by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .

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Lorna Kring