Oriental lily
Lilium (Oriental hybrids) · Liliaceae Popular
Huge, heavily perfumed flowers in white, pink or crimson, often spotted or banded, in late summer. 'Stargazer' and 'Casa Blanca' belong here.
- Size
- 4 ft tall, 14 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Early August to late August
- Pets
- Toxic (severe)
- Job in a bed
- Accent
A bed built around oriental lily
The planner designed this bed around oriental lily when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why oriental lily stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Dianthus 'Kahori' × 8, pink
- 2 Leadwort × 8, blue
- 3 Foxglove beardtongue × 5, white
- 4 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 3, purple
- 5 Globe arborvitae 'Danica' × 1, green leaves
- 6 Caucasian scabious 'Fama' × 3, blue
- 7 Oriental lily × 1, white
- 8 Camassia × 2, blue
Why this plant
- Nothing here is unique to it. Its leaf, flower shape and colour are all on the plan already. Its case rests on where it stands and when it performs.
Why here
- Forward of its place. At 4 ft it belongs at the back of the bed: this far forward it stands in the way of what is behind it.
- One plant. An accent is used singly, like a punctuation mark.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From early August to late August.
- Fills no gap. Every week it is in flower, at least three other kinds are too. It thickens a season that is already full.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Blue is the colour seen most, on 3 of the 7 kinds grown for their flowers. The flowering is at its height from early August, with 4 kinds out together.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where oriental lily goes in a border
At 4 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is moderately tall (3 to 4 ft).
Its job: accent. An upright plant used singly, like a punctuation mark, and repeated at intervals to give the bed rhythm.
The last lilies to flower and the most fragrant. They need acid, well-drained soil that does not dry out, and some shade at the root.
- Rich scent in late summer
- Cut flowers
- Containers
What to plant with oriental lily
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Garden phlox: in flower together for four weeks, from early August; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves.
- Japanese anemone: in flower together for two weeks, from mid August; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves.
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne': in flower together for four weeks, from early August; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about oriental lily
Does oriental lily need sun or shade?
Oriental lily grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does oriental lily grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does oriental lily flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early August to late August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 4 | Early August to late August |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Early August to late August |
| Zone 6 | Early August to late August |
| Zone 7 | Late July to mid August |
| Zone 8 | Late July to mid August |
| Zone 9 | Mid July to early August |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should oriental lily be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 14 in (35 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many oriental lily plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as one at a time, repeated along the bed at intervals; a slender one reads better as a clump of three.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is oriental lily poisonous to cats?
Yes: severe toxicity to cats. Extremely poisonous to cats: every part, including the pollen and the water from a vase, can cause kidney failure. Not considered poisonous to dogs or people.
It is not recorded as toxic to dogs.
Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
What can I plant to hide oriental lily's leaves after it flowers?
A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:
- Blue false indigo: 4 ft tall and 4 ft wide, in flower late May to mid June.
- Peony: 3 ft tall and 3 ft wide, in flower late May to late June.
- Daylily: 2½ ft tall and 24 in wide, in flower late June to early August.
What does oriental lily look like in winter?
Oriental lily is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.
More Lilium
- Asiatic lily Lilium (Asiatic hybrids)
- Canada lily Lilium canadense
- Easter lily Lilium longiflorum
- Henry's lily Lilium henryi
- Madonna lily Lilium candidum
- Martagon lily Lilium martagon
- Orienpet lily Lilium (Orienpet hybrids)
- Oriental lily 'Casa Blanca' Lilium 'Casa Blanca'
- Oriental lily 'Stargazer' Lilium 'Stargazer'
- Regal lily Lilium regale
- Tiger lily Lilium lancifolium
- Trumpet lily Lilium (Trumpet hybrids)
- Turk's cap lily Lilium superbum
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
In flower in: August
Every fact on record
- Type
- Bulb
- Size
- 4 ft (120 cm) tall, 14 in (35 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Moderately tall (3 to 4 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Early August to late August; open bowls; white, pink, red
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; dark green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Liliaceae
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.