Tiger lily

Tiger lily: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, unbranched stems of 1–1.2 m, about 30 cm across.

Leaves

Narrow, lance-shaped and dark green, packed along the whole stem.

Flower

Nodding flowers of 8–10 cm with strongly recurved petals, often ten or more per stem, in August–September.

Colour

Orange to orange-red with dark purple spots; the long stamens carry rust-brown pollen.

Bulb

White, scaly bulb, with purple-black bulbils in the leaf axils along the stem.

Flowering: August–September · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: October

Why grow it?

• Late flowering in August–September, when many other lilies have finished.
• Striking orange flowers with dark spots that catch the eye from afar.
• Very hardy and robust: it returns every year with little care.
• A beautiful, long-lasting cut flower.
• Easy to propagate yourself from the bulbils in the leaf axils.

Tiger lily: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; ideally with its head in the sun and its feet shaded by lower plants.
• Well-drained, humus-rich soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Moist: it should not dry out in summer, nor have wet feet in winter.
• Plant 20–30 cm apart, in groups of three to five.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

1.2 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Black-eyed Susan: Yellow flowers in August–September, in the same sunny border.
• Sneezeweed: Warm orange and red shades that strengthen the colour scheme.
• Russian sage: A blue haze as a contrast to the orange.
• Miscanthus: An ornamental grass that matches the height of the lilies.
• Lady’s mantle: Keeps the base cool and shaded.

Tiger lily: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the ground is neither frozen nor too wet.
2. Loosen the soil deeply and mix in compost and, on heavy ground, some coarse sand.
3. Set the bulbs 15–20 cm deep: it also forms roots on the stem above the bulb.
4. Keep 20–30 cm between bulbs and plant in small groups.
5. Water after planting and firm the soil lightly.
6. Mulch with leaf mould; plant low perennials around the base to keep the roots cool.

Care

Watering

In dry spells, water generously at the base once a week, especially before and during flowering.

Feeding

In April, compost or an organic bulb fertiliser; not on the young shoots.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould keeps the roots cool and moist.

Staking

In a windy spot, put a cane next to the stems without damaging the bulb.

Lily beetle

Check regularly from March to August for small red beetles and their larvae.

Tip: In autumn, collect the black bulbils from the leaf axils and put them in a pot: after two or three years you will have new, flowering tiger lilies for free.

Tiger lily: when to prune it?

Pruning months: October.

When: A tiger lily needs hardly any pruning. After flowering you remove the faded flowers, and in October, once the stem is brown, you cut it down.

How:

• Cut off faded flowers just below the bloom, but leave the stem with its leaves.
• Collect the bulbils in September–October before cutting the stem.
• In October, cut the dead stem down to just above the ground.
• When cutting flowers for the vase, leave at least half the stem with its leaves.

Caution: Do not cut the stem while it is still green: the bulb needs the leaves to build up strength.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Bulbils

In September–October, collect the black bulbils from the leaf axils and set them 2–3 cm deep in a pot or nursery bed. They flower after two or three years.

Scales

In autumn, snap a few outer scales off the bulb, put them in a bag of moist vermiculite and keep them at room temperature. After a few weeks small bulbs form, which you can pot up.

Tiger lily: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −30 °C: in Belgium it stays in the ground without protection.
• Wet soil is more dangerous than frost: make sure drainage is good.
• In a pot: stand the pot against a wall in winter and keep the compost slightly moist, not wet.

Diseases and pests

• Lily beetle: Bright red beetles, and larvae hidden under their own droppings, strip the leaves. Pick them off by hand from March to August; hold your hand underneath, as they drop when disturbed.
• Grey mould: Brown spots on the leaves in wet weather. Cut off affected leaves and keep space around the plant for air.
• Virus: Tiger lilies often carry viruses without looking ill. Do not plant them right next to other lilies and control aphids, which spread viruses.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening.

Through the year

• March: Plant bulbs. Watch for lily beetles.
• April: Last spring planting. Give compost and mulch.
• May: Pick off lily beetles. Put in supports.
• June: Water in dry spells.
• July: Flower buds appear. Water in dry spells.
• August: In flower. Cut stems for the vase.
• September: In flower. Remove faded flowers. Collect bulbils.
• October: Cut down brown stems. Plant bulbs and bulbils.
• November: Plant bulbs.

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?

• It used to be called Lilium tigrinum; the current name lancifolium refers to the lance-shaped leaves.
• Most garden tiger lilies set hardly any viable seed. They spread mainly by the bulbils in the leaf axils.
• In East Asia the tiger lily has been grown for centuries for its edible bulbs as well.