How to Grow and Care for Lily Flowers

Lily flowers are a perennial garden and cut flower favorite, with those gorgeous, showy blooms in a multitude of colors. Their flowers are special in a multitude of ways; they aren't just gorgeous, they also attract pollinators, smell amazing, and bloom nearly year-round. The best part? It's relatively easy to help lily flowers thrive in your garden—or even indoors—with a little TLC. Here's everything you need to know to grow some gorgeous lilies, wherever you plant them.

How to Plant Lilies

Lilies like well-drained, enriched soil to help them thrive. You can plant the bulbs in fall (at least a month before the first frost) or in the spring, after the last frost. You'll want to plant the bulbs pointy side up, deep in the soil (at least twice times as deep as the bulb size—so eight inches deep if your bulb is four inches tall). Applying mulch can help protect the bulbs (especially if you're planning to overwinter them in your garden), and ensure that the soil stays moist.

How to Care for Lilies Indoors

Easter lilies are commonly grown indoors, but other varieties can also do well planted in containers in your home, as long as you're able to provide the ideal sunlight and watering conditions to help it thrive.

Use a pot that'll look proportional to the bloom—and probably stick with smaller varieties. (Some of the tallest lily flowers can grow up to eight feet tall!) The pot should have draining holes to avoid issues with overwatering. Lillies are perennial plants that will grow every spring without their bulbs being replanted, so that's one less thing to worry about each year.

You'll also need to let the plant hibernate for two months in the winter. Store the bulbs in a cool location, like an unheated garage or shed, or in a refrigerator that doesn't have fruit in it. (The fruit will produce a chemical that could inhibit blooms next year.)

How to Care for Lilies Outdoors

Lilies require generous helpings of sunlight and water (see the details below), and should be fed a potassium-based fertilizer every two weeks until a month after the final bloom.

To maintain the beauty of your plant, you may want to use flower stakes to keep the blooms upright, and trim back the stems and spent blooms after they're done blooming. (Just leave the leaves until they turn brown, to help your bulb grow back strong the following year.)

Sunlight Requirements

Lily plants need six to eight hours of full sun to thrive, whether they're living indoors or out. Some varieties can handle light shade, but for the best blooms, pick a sunny spot.

Water Requirements

Lily plants don't tend to be as drought resistant as other perennial flowers, so you'll need to water them weekly if conditions are dry. Applying an inch or two of mulch when you plant them can help the plant retain moisture.

But lilies can also be the Goldilocks of flowers, as too much moisture can cause the bulb to rot—so it's not a good candidate for a swampier spot in the garden (look to rain garden-friendly plants for those spots.)

How to Fix Common Lily Plant Problems

Lily flowers tend to be relatively hardy, but there are some common issues that can keep your lilies from thriving.

Aphid infestation

Aphids are a common garden pest that loves lilies. Neem oil can help control aphids, or apply insecticides that target aphids.

Yellow or browning leaves

Yellow and brown leaves are more common in bulbs planted indoors, and can be a sign of leaf scorch. They can be a sign that the conditions for the plant aren't right (too much or too little water or fertilizer), and correcting that could help the plant thrive.

Drooping flowers

Sometimes, the weight of those gorgeous lily flowers is too much for the stem! Staking can help the stems stand upright.

Types of Lilies

With the abundance of varieties of lilies out there, it may seem overwhelming to try to choose just one. Here's a guide to get you started.

Asiatic Lilies

Many gardeners like to start with Asiatic lilies because they're the easiest to grow among the Lilium genus. They bloom early in the year, around April or May, and come in a rainbow array of colors, from pastels to more vibrant tones. Generally, they're shorter in height, around three feet tall on average (but can be anywhere from two to five feet). But if you're looking for fragrant lilies, you'd best find a different strain—the scent has been mostly bred out of Asiatic lilies.

Oriental Lilies

If you're looking for a more fragrant variety, Oriental lilies are the way to go. Most people opt for these larger, showier blooms in bouquets and displays. Sometimes mistaken for orchids, these plants bloom in the fall. Oriental lilies usually grow to about a foot tall.

Easter Lilies (Lilium longiflorum)

Easter lilies are usually grown indoors as decor for the holiday (which is where they got their name). They originated in Asia, and when grown indigenously, they like moist soil and shade. But don't be fooled by their delicate appearance—these flowers are robust and can survive in wintry temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit! They have thinner stems and white blooms, and if you grow them outdoors, it's best to do so in warmer climates.

Tiger Lilies (Lilium lancifolium, Lilium tigrinum)

Popular for their easy growing habits, tiger lilies grow large orange blooms spotted with black or dark red—like tiger fur! They usually grow about four feet tall, and their flowers hang down instead of leaning to the side. Newer hybrids are available in various colors, including white, pink, red, cream, and yellow, but they all come with the same signature tiger spots.

Trumpet Lilies (Lilium regale )

Also known as regal or royal lilies, trumpet lilies are similar to orientals in their fragrance and large, showy flowers. Their blooms resemble trumpets—hence the name—and they come in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, and pink. Sometimes, they develop green, purple, or brown shading on their outer surfaces near the stem, adding interest and depth to their color. They usually grow between three and six feet tall, and each stem grows a staggering 12 to 20 flowers!

Turk's Cap Lilies (Lilium superbum)

Turk's cap lilies might have the most unique appearance of all the lily varieties—they grow with their petals curved outwards, giving them an almost inside-out appearance. They're technically a wildflower and can grow up to eight feet tall in moist, fertile soil. If you want to draw pollinators to your garden, this is your flowers—Turk's caps are beloved by hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies alike. Their blooms are a stunning orange-red with purple spots.