Growing Lilies: Planting Depth, Types and Care

Which lily type suits your garden?

Lilies are grouped by parentage and flower shape, and the group tells you almost everything you need to know: bloom time, scent, height and how well the plant handles winter. Buying by flower color alone is a gamble. Buying by group is not.

Asiatic lilies – the easiest starting point

The earliest to bloom, in June and July, and the widest color range of any group. Most varieties have little to no scent, which plenty of gardeners actually prefer indoors. Hardy and reliable at 60–120 cm (2–4 ft), and the group beginners should reach for first.

LA hybrids – big flowers on sturdy stems

A cross between Asiatic lilies and the fragrant Lilium longiflorum. The result is large, often upward-facing flowers on stems strong enough to rarely need staking, with light to moderate scent. They bloom around the same time as Asiatics.

Trumpet and Aurelian hybrids – you'll smell them from across the garden

Trumpet-shaped, heavily fragrant, and the tallest of all the groups at 120–180 cm (4–6 ft). Lilium regale and varieties like 'African Queen' belong here. They bloom in July, between the early and late groups.

Oriental lilies – the strongest fragrance

Large, flat or reflexed flowers with an intense, sweet scent that can fill a room. 'Stargazer' and 'Casa Blanca' are the classics. They bloom late, from July into September, prefer slightly acidic soil, and are the least cold-hardy of the common groups, needing winter mulch below roughly USDA zone 6.

OT hybrids (Orienpets) – Oriental scent, trumpet-lily toughness

A cross between Oriental and trumpet lilies. Huge, fragrant flowers on 150–200 cm (5–6.5 ft) stems, but noticeably hardier and sturdier than pure Orientals. Often the better choice if you want that heavy Oriental fragrance in a colder garden.

Martagon lilies (Turk's cap) – the patient group

Small, nodding, turban-shaped flowers, up to twenty per stem, and the only group that genuinely thrives in the light shade of deciduous trees. They take two to three years to settle in and flower fully, but then persist in the same spot for ten to twenty years without needing division.

Madonna lily – the one that breaks the rules

Lilium candidum is an old garden lily with pure white, fragrant flowers in June and July. It behaves unlike every other lily on this list: the bulb produces a rosette of leaves in autumn that stays green through winter, and it needs shallow planting – just 2–3 cm (1 in) of soil over the bulb – in August or early September, while every other lily bulb is still dormant at the nursery.

Mixing groups spreads the bloom season from June into September instead of everything flowering the same three weeks. If you're planning a whole bulb border around them, the basics are covered in the guide to flower bulbs.

How deep should you plant lily bulbs?

Fifteen to twenty centimetres (6–8 in) to the base of the bulb for most groups – roughly three times the bulb's own height. That's deeper than seems necessary for a bulb that's only 4–6 cm (1.5–2.5 in) across, but lilies form roots both below and above the bulb, and that upper set of roots needs room to anchor the stem.

The exception: Madonna lily

Here the rule reverses. Lilium candidum is planted with only 2–3 cm (1 in) of soil over the bulb. Planted deep, it won't form its autumn leaf rosette and often skips flowering entirely. This is the most common reason gardeners report that their Madonna lily "never comes up" — it was planted like an ordinary lily bulb.

Spacing and grouping

Twenty to thirty centimetres (8–12 in) between bulbs. Closer than that and the roots compete for water and nutrients; further apart looks sparse. Plant three to five bulbs of the same variety in an irregular cluster rather than a straight line — it looks fuller in year one and makes the clump easier to divide later.

On deep, sandy soil: go even deeper

On very free-draining sandy soil, lilies can be planted 30–50 cm (12–20 in) deep in a purpose-built raised sand bed. The extra depth keeps the bulb cooler in summer and better insulated against hard frost. It's a good option if ordinary planting depth keeps giving you bulb rot, but only where drainage is genuinely excellent — on clay, that same depth just sits the bulb in water all winter.

Site and soil: what lilies actually need

Most lilies want full sun to light shade and at least half a day of direct light for sturdy stems and a full bloom. Martagon lilies are the exception and flower well even in the dappled shade under deciduous trees.

Soil needs to be free-draining and humus-rich. Standing water is the single most common cause of death for lily bulbs, well ahead of frost or pests. On heavy clay, build a raised bed with 10 cm (4 in) of coarse sand or grit worked into the base before planting. Most groups want a soil pH of 6.0–6.5; Oriental lilies are the most sensitive to alkaline soil and do best on the acidic end of that range, while Madonna lily and Martagon tolerate more neutral or even slightly limy ground.

Good to know. The classic lily rule is "cool roots, sun on the head." Plant low perennials such as daylilies, hostas or catmint in front of your lilies so their foliage shades the lily's root zone while the flower stems reach up into full sun. It mimics how lilies grow in the wild, tucked among grasses and low shrubs on mountain slopes.

Companion planting: building a border that blooms all season

Lilies emerge late, often not until May, which makes them a mid-to-late-season layer rather than an early highlight. Plant them alongside spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, which bloom and die back before the lily stems have really started stretching. A patch of daffodils already marks ground you shouldn't disturb in spring, which is exactly the reasoning behind marking a lily cluster at planting time too.

If you want to plan a whole border that runs from spring bulbs through to midsummer bloom, the fundamentals are covered in the guide to planning a flower bed, including which low perennials work as living "root shade" for bulbs with sensitive roots.

Planting lily bulbs step by step

1. Check the bulb. A healthy lily bulb is firm and plump, with fleshy scales that haven't dried out or shriveled. Unlike tulips or daffodils, lily bulbs have no papery outer skin, so they don't tolerate sitting in a bag as long.
2. Dig a hole or trench 20–25 cm (8–10 in) deep, wider than the cluster of bulbs you're planting.
3. Work in coarse sand or compost if the soil is heavy, plus a small handful of bonemeal per cluster.
4. Set the bulbs pointed side up, roots down, 20–30 cm (8–12 in) apart, in an irregular group of three to five.
5. Cover with 15–20 cm (6–8 in) of soil (just 2–3 cm / 1 in for Madonna lily) and firm gently.
6. Water thoroughly right after planting, even in autumn, so the soil settles fully around the bulb.
7. Mark the spot. Lilies emerge later in spring than tulips or daffodils, and an unmarked cluster is an easy thing to accidentally dig into.

Watering and feeding through the season

During active growth and flowering, from May to August, lilies want consistently moist soil that never sits waterlogged. Expect to water once or twice a week during dry spells, more often for potted lilies. Let the surface dry between waterings — it's winter dampness, not summer watering, that rots most lily bulbs.

Feed with a balanced fertiliser once shoots reach 5–10 cm (2–4 in) in spring. Switch to a higher-potassium feed once buds appear, the same logic used for tomatoes or dahlias: nitrogen builds leaves, potassium builds flowers and bulb reserves. Stop feeding as soon as flowering ends. Feeding too late in the season pushes soft new growth that's more prone to frost damage and rot.

Caring for lilies after they flower

Snap off the spent flower as soon as the petals drop, but leave the stem and leaves in place. As with tulips, the leaves are what build next year's bulb, and a lily cut back right after flowering will bloom noticeably weaker the following year.

Let the stem stand until it has yellowed completely and twists off easily, usually six to eight weeks after flowering — September for most groups. Then cut it back to a few centimetres above the ground. Once the clump is cut back, there's no need to touch it again until it's time to divide.

Dividing the clump

After three to five years, a healthy clump has produced several new bulbs and started to crowd itself. Dig it up in autumn once the foliage has died back, gently separate the individual bulbs by hand, and replant at normal spacing in improved soil. Some species, such as tiger lily and the fire lily, also produce small bulbils in their leaf axils that can be collected and grown on — they typically flower within two to three years. Timing division around soil temperature follows the same logic as any autumn-planted bulb, covered in more detail in the guide on when to plant bulbs in autumn.

Why do lily leaves get brown spots or get eaten by red beetles?

Lilies have fewer diseases than tulips, but one pest that's hard to ignore. Here are the problems that actually show up in a home garden.

Red lily beetle

Glossy scarlet beetles with black legs and heads, about 8 mm (0.3 in) long, that emerge from the soil in spring. They chew holes in leaves, buds and flowers and can strip a plant bare within weeks if left unchecked. The larvae are just as destructive and are easy to identify: they cover themselves in their own dark, sticky excrement as camouflage against predators — unpleasant to look at, but effective.

Good to know. Lily beetles feel the vibration of your approach and drop to the ground the instant you touch the plant, then play dead on their backs until the danger passes. Dust the soil around the plant with flour before you start checking: the beetle shows up clearly against the white background instead of vanishing into dark soil.

Handpicking from spring onward, once or twice a week, is the method that actually works in a home garden. Crush the orange eggs laid in rows on the underside of leaves, and blast larvae off with a strong jet of water — they rarely make it back onto the plant. There's no convenient chemical spray that eliminates lily beetle without also harming beneficial insects, so early, regular checking remains the most reliable defence.

Botrytis leaf blight (lily disease)

Round, yellow-brown to reddish-brown spots on the leaves that merge into large, tough brown patches in humid weather. Severe cases kill leaves early and weaken flowering. It's worse with crowded planting, poor air circulation and overhead watering. Fix: give plants more space, water at the soil rather than over the foliage, and remove and bin affected leaves rather than composting them.

Virus

Mottled, streaked or marbled leaves, distorted buds and stunted growth. Spread by aphids feeding on an infected plant and then moving to the next. There's no cure. Dig up and dispose of affected plants — never compost them — and control aphids to protect the rest of the bed.

Bulb rot

Soft, discoloured, foul-smelling bulbs, usually caused by Fusarium in soil that's too wet. Fix: improve drainage before replanting, not after.

Voles and rodents

Voles eat lily bulbs from below without leaving any sign above ground, the same way they attack tulip bulbs. A basket of 13 mm (0.5 in) hardware cloth buried around the bulbs is the only reliable protection, the same method described in the guide to growing tulips.

Planting and bloom calendar by USDA zone

These dates are guidelines. Exactly when your soil becomes workable or freezes varies with weather and site, so treat a ten-day forecast as more reliable than the calendar. Bloom times shown are for Asiatic lilies; Oriental and OT hybrids flower three to six weeks later in the same zone.

In zones 3–4, Martagon and the hardiest Asiatic varieties are the safest outdoor choice. If you still want the fragrance of Oriental lilies, growing them in containers you can move or heavily mulch over winter works well — covered next.

Can you grow lilies in pots and cut them for a vase?

Lilies in containers

Yes, and it's often easier than growing them in a border, because you control drainage completely. Use a pot at least 30–40 cm (12–16 in) deep with generous drainage holes, fill with a free-draining potting mix cut with perlite or coarse sand, and plant three to five bulbs of the same variety per 30-litre (8-gallon) pot at normal depth, 15–20 cm (6–8 in).

Winter is the risky period. A pot freezes through far faster than open ground, and a lily bulb frozen solid in a plastic pot dies more often than one in the soil. Bury the pot in a mound of soil, move it to a sheltered, unheated space like a garage or covered porch, or wrap it well with bubble insulation and push it up against a house wall.

Cutting lilies for a vase

Cut the stem once the lowest one or two buds have just begun showing colour but haven't opened yet — that way the whole spike develops in the vase. Leave at least a third to half of the stem and its leaves on the plant; cutting the whole stem removes the foliage the bulb needs to build next year's flower, the same reason you never trim leaves back too early in the border.

Pinch off the pollen-bearing anthers with a tissue before the flower fully opens. The pollen stains fabric and petals permanently and won't wash out. In a vase, cut lilies last one to two weeks in cool, clean water changed every couple of days.

Important: lilies are severely toxic to cats. Every part of a true lily — leaves, petals, anthers, pollen, and even the water in the vase — can cause acute kidney failure in cats, often within days if untreated. It takes very little: a cat grooming off pollen that brushed onto its fur is enough. If you have a cat, the safest choice is to avoid cut lilies indoors altogether, or keep them somewhere genuinely out of reach, and call a vet immediately if you suspect any contact. Dogs may get an upset stomach but don't face the same acute risk.

Common mistakes

• Planting too shallow. Ten centimetres isn't enough for most groups. Fifteen to twenty centimetres gives sturdier stems and better winter protection for the bulb.
• Planting Madonna lily like an ordinary bulb. Planted deep, it skips its autumn leaf rosette and often won't flower. Just 2–3 cm of soil on top.
• Cutting leaves back right after flowering. Next year's bulb is built by the leaves over the six to eight weeks after bloom. Wait until they've fully yellowed.
• Not checking for lily beetle until the plant is bare. The beetle appears in spring, well before buds are visible. Start looking early.
• Standing water over winter. More lily bulbs die from wet soil in early spring than from cold in January. Improve drainage if it's ever in doubt.
• Cutting the entire stem for a vase. Removes the foliage the bulb needs. Always leave a third to half the stem in place on the plant.
• Keeping cut lilies in a house with a cat. Pollen and vase water are acutely toxic to cats. Choose a different cut flower if a cat has access to the room.
• Growing Oriental lilies on alkaline soil in a cold climate. That combination suits them worst of all the groups. Choose OT hybrids instead, or grow in a pot you can move indoors.

Frequently asked questions

Are lilies poisonous to cats?
Yes, severely. Every part of a true lily (Lilium) — leaves, petals, pollen, and even the water in a vase — can cause acute kidney failure in cats, often within days. Even a small amount of pollen groomed off the fur is enough to cause serious harm. If you have a cat, avoid cut lilies indoors and call a vet immediately if you suspect contact.

Do lilies come back every year?
Yes. Unlike many tulip varieties, most lily groups are genuinely perennial and can stay in the same spot for a decade or more given good drainage and an undisturbed spot. Martagon and species lilies last longest, while Oriental lilies can decline faster in colder zones without winter mulch.

Why didn't the lilies I planted last year flower?
The most common reason is a young bulb that needs another season to build up reserves, especially with Martagon lilies, which can take two to three years. Other causes include too little sun, planting too shallow, or lily beetle larvae stripping the foliage before the bulb could recharge.

How do you control lily beetles without chemicals?
Handpicking is what actually works. Check plants once or twice a week from spring onward, crush the orange eggs on the undersides of leaves, and dust the soil with flour before checking adult beetles — they drop and play dead the moment you touch the plant, and flour makes them visible against dark soil. Blast larvae off with a strong jet of water.

Can you grow lilies in pots?
Yes. Use a pot at least 30–40 cm (12–16 in) deep with good drainage, plant three to five bulbs per 30-litre pot at normal depth, and protect the pot from freezing solid over winter by burying it, moving it somewhere cold but sheltered, or wrapping it well.

Can you plant lily bulbs in spring if you missed autumn?
Yes, lilies tolerate spring planting better than most other autumn bulbs because they don't have as strict a dormancy requirement. Plant as early as the soil is workable, in April or May, but expect slightly later and lighter flowering the first year.

Which lily variety has the strongest scent?
Oriental lilies such as 'Stargazer' and 'Casa Blanca', along with OT hybrids, have the strongest fragrance, easily enough to fill a room from a single vase. Trumpet lilies like Lilium regale come close behind. Asiatic lilies are usually scentless, which many gardeners actually prefer indoors.

When should you divide lily bulbs?
After three to five years, once a clump has produced several new bulbs and flowering starts looking crowded but less abundant. Dig up in autumn after the foliage has died back, gently separate the bulbs by hand, and replant at normal spacing in improved soil.

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