Each variety of lily has its own bloom time, but all lilies start growing when the ground warms. Cold weather, cold soil and cloudy days may delay the start of growth.
With large, showy blooms, lilies add striking elegance in the garden from early to midsummer. Grown from bulbs, these perennial flowers are best planted in the autumn and will return year after year with minimal care —as long as they’re planted in the right place. Learn more in our Lilies Growing Guide. Where is the best place to plant lilies?
Container-grown lily plants can be planted anytime during the early summer. Buy the bulbs close to planting time. Because lily bulbs don’t go dormant, they will deteriorate over time, so don’t plan to buy bulbs in the fall and wait until spring to plant them. Select a site with soil that drains well. How can you tell?
Do lilies bloom all summer long?
There are many types of lilies which bloom at different times. You can enjoy lilies all summer long if you plant bulbs from different varieties. Asiatic lilies are the earliest to bloom and the easiest to grow. With their upward facing flowers, they bloom early to midsummer.
Easter lilies are most commonly grown indoors as a holiday plant. As their name suggests, they are typically forced into bloom around Easter, in March or April.
How long does it take for lily bulbs to grow?
Some lilies grow bulbils along their stems that you can pick off in autumn and sow in a seed tray of multipurpose peat-free compost. Pot them on as they grow – and be patient, it can take three years for them to reach flowering size.
Asiatic lilies come in a range of bright, beautiful colors. In most regions, plant lily bulbs in the fall, at least four weeks prior to your first fall frost date. Bulbs planted in the autumn will have well established roots in the spring. The bulbs benefit from a winter chill to produce big blooms.
When the lilies’ bulbs go dormant in the fall, this is the best time to divide the bulbs and replant them. Some of the most popular types of lilies include the following: Asiatic lilies – The Asiatic lily is the earliest to bloom. They are also the easiest to grow.
Can you grow lilies from bulbs?
, and growing lilies. Many lily species and species-like Asiatics grow tall stems with many flowers from small bulbs; larger bulbs of these types are less adaptable to transplanting and “settling in.” Trumpets typically produce larger but readily transplantable bulbs. Orientals vary depending upon their ancestry.