Orange lily

Orange lily: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright bulbous plant about 90 cm tall and 30 cm wide, with a sturdy stem.

Leaves

Narrow to lance-shaped, dark green, scattered along the stem; some forms have bulbils in the leaf axils.

Flower

Upright, cup-shaped flowers in small groups at the top of the stem, in June–July.

Colour

Fiery orange to orange-red, often with dark spots in the throat.

Bulb

Bulb without a protective coat, made up of white scales; it dries out quickly.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: March–April and October–November

Why grow it?

• Fiery orange flowers in June–July that stand out even from a distance.
• A tough, old garden plant: fully hardy down to about −30 °C and can stay in the ground for many years.
• Suits a cottage garden, a sunny border or tall grass.
• Also tolerates chalky soil, unlike some other lilies.
• A fine cut flower; pick the buds just as they start to colour.

Orange lily: where does it grow best?

• Full sun for the flowers, ideally with the base in shade (for example from low plants around it).
• Free-draining soil: sandy, loamy or clay, lime is fine. Standing water in winter makes the bulb rot.
• Tolerates a dry summer better than some other lilies, but needs some moisture during the growing season.
• Sheltered from strong wind; the stems are tall.
• Plant the bulbs 20–30 cm apart, in groups of three or five.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: Purple-blue contrast with the lily’s orange, in the same sunny spot.
• Catmint: Blue flowers fill the base of the lily.
• Cranesbill: Keeps the soil around the bulb cool and covered.
• Ornamental grasses: Soft plumes make the orange stand out better.

Orange lily: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in October–November or March–April; autumn planting gives the best roots.
2. Dig a hole about 15 cm deep (three times the height of the bulb) and lighten heavy soil with sand.
3. Set the bulb upright, on a handful of sand against rot, 20–30 cm apart.
4. Cover with soil and water well, even if it rains.
5. Spread a layer of compost or leaf mould; low plants around it keep the base cool.

Care

Water

During the growing season give a good can of water in dry spells, especially from May to July. No wet feet in winter.

Feeding

In spring, a little compost or bulb fertiliser. Not too much nitrogen.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould keeps the soil cool and moist; keep mulch away from the stem.

Support

A low support or small shrubs around it prevent the stems from falling over in wind.

Spent flowers

Cut off the spent flowers but leave the stem and leaves: they feed the bulb.

Tip: Head in the sun, feet in the shade: plant low plants around the base of the lily. The bulb does not want bare, sun-baked soil, but the flower wants light.

Orange lily: when to prune it?

When: Pruning is not needed. Cut off spent flowers and remove the stems only when they are completely withered, in October–November.

How:

• Cut off spent flowers just below the flower.
• Leave the stem and leaves until they turn yellow: they feed the bulb.
• Cut the withered stem off in autumn, just above the ground.

Caution: Never cut a green stem too early: the bulb needs the leaves to recharge for next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Bulbils

For forms with bulbils in the leaf axils: harvest them in August–September and plant them 3–5 cm deep in a pot or nursery bed; they flower after 2–3 years.

Scales

In autumn, snap a few healthy scales off the bulb and place them in moist sand or perlite in a plastic bag at room temperature; new bulblets form after a few weeks.

Division

Divide crowded clumps after flowering, in October–November, and replant the small bulbs at once.

Orange lily: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy in Belgium (down to about −30 °C): no protection needed if the soil is free-draining.
• A thin layer of leaves or compost over the bulb keeps moisture in and frost out.
• In a pot: place the pot in a sheltered, dry spot against a wall and do not let it stand in water.

Diseases and pests

• Lily beetle: A bright red beetle and slimy larvae (covered in their own droppings) eat the leaves from April to July. Hand-picking is the best remedy.
• Botrytis: Brown spots on the leaves in wet weather. Cut off affected leaves, leave space between plants and do not water over the foliage.
• Bulb rot: In wet soil the bulbs rot. Plant in free-draining soil and mix clay with sand.
• Slugs and voles: Slugs eat the young shoots in spring; voles can eat the bulbs. Pick slugs off by hand and use a planting basket if voles are a problem.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Young shoots appear.
• April: Plant. Apply compost. Watch for lily beetles.
• May: Put supports in place. Water in dry spells.
• June: Flowering begins. Cut flowers for the vase.
• July: Flowering. Cut off spent flowers.
• August: Harvest bulbils (if present).
• September: Leaves turn yellow. Leave them.
• October: Plant. Cut off withered stems.
• November: Plant. Mulch with leaf mould.
• December: Resting underground.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Lilies are life-threatening to cats: every part, even the pollen and the water in the vase, causes acute kidney failure in very small amounts, which is often fatal without prompt treatment. A little pollen licked off the fur can be enough. If your cat has been at a lily or has pollen on its coat, call your vet at once, even if it shows no signs yet. Do not bring cut lilies into the house if you have a cat (removing the stamens is not enough) and do not plant them where cats often go. For children and dogs lilies are far less dangerous, but they can still cause stomach upsets. Do not confuse them with daylilies (Hemerocallis), whose buds and flowers are edible (though they too are dangerous to cats): never eat a true lily. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• The species name bulbiferum means ‘bulb-bearing’: some forms produce small bulbils in the leaf axils.
• It is one of the oldest garden lilies in Europe, and it grows wild in the mountains of central and southern Europe.
• Lilies have no protective coat around their bulb, unlike tulips or daffodils, and therefore dry out quickly: plant them at once.