Types of Lilies: 9 Divisions of Lilies with Examples To Plant In Your Garden
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When you think of lilies, you probably imagine a trumpet-shaped flower with large, open petals in vibrant colors and patterns growing on a long, delicate stem. The center of each flower has a long stamen that is prominent, standing upright with the petals folding outwards and sometimes curling downwards.
Lilies have such a classic shape that they are easily recognized around the world. But how many different types of lilies are there? Where did they originate from, and which is best to grow at home?
Keep reading as we share each division of lily along with a list of types of lilies that can be grown from home.
What are Lilies?
Lilies are part of the Lilium family and originally grew in the wild within the Northern Hemisphere, across North America, Europe, and Asia. Lilies grow from a bulb and bloom for a short period during the summer months.
They are incredibly popular, particularly for weddings, due to their long life span once cut. Lilies, if not more, can last a week after being cut and are full of elegance and scent.
Being such a popular plant, botanists have managed to create a vast number of hybrid species with over 100 species and 2000 varieties. Although there are too many types of lilies to name, each variety stems from one of nine divisions.
Divisions of Lilies
As it wouldn’t be possible to list every species and variety of lily in a single post, we will break down the nine core divisions of lilies and share a couple of varieties for each.
Asiatic Hybrids
Asiatic lilies are excellent for beginner gardeners as they are one of the easier divisions of lilies to grow. They are also fantastic for gardeners with sinus difficulties or hay fever, as they do not have a scent.
Varieties will have 3 to 6 flowers per stem that come in shades, including orange, red, yellow, and white. Often, the petals are spotted and bloom during June and July. Most Asiatic lilies have star-shaped flowers that can face upwards or downwards and grow on tall, sturdy stems between 1-5 feet.
Asiatic types of lilies include:
- Cinnabar: star-shaped flowers in a bright red shade with brown spots.
- Purple Eye: deep purple flowers with a slightly lighter shade of purple at the tip of each petal growing up to 1 meter tall.
- Tango Strawberry and Cream: white outer petals with a bright speckled pink on the inner half of each petal.
American Hybrids
These varieties are always derived from North American Lilies. With the right growing conditions, such as quality soil and good drainage, American hybrids often grow wild, establish themselves well, and spread easily. So they are great for anyone looking to fill up an area of their garden with beautiful, bright flowers.
However, unlike the Asiatic hybrids, American lilies are not as easy to grow and probably aren’t the best choice if you are new to growing lilies.
American hybrids often bloom in cooler climates between June and July, but if you live in a warmer area, they will bloom as early as May.
The flowers have long petals that fall and curl right back away from the stamen, with large dark spots on the inside. Each plant can grow between 5-7 feet tall.
These types of lilies include:
- Canada Lily: offering deep yellow petals in almost an opened bell shape with dark, delicate spots.
- Panther Lily: almost a hot pink petal on the outside, fading to a brilliantly bright yellow on each inner petal with dark red spots.
Martagon Hybrids
Martagon hybrids offer tall lilies with down-facing flowers in a range of shades, including yellow, pink, purple, orange, white, and red. Most flowers are covered in delicate spots and are often slightly smaller than other types of lilies.
Also known as “Turk’s Cap” lilies, they can take a while to establish themselves in a new environment. However, once they are settled, they are long-lasting and can survive in your garden for many years.
Martagon hybrids can grow up to 2 meters tall and often flower between June and August. Martagon varieties include:
- Pink Morning: as suggested by the name, these offer delicate, pink petals which are freckled with a deeper purple.
- Manitoba Morning: a sun-blushed red with large spots of dark red surrounded by a bright yellow.
Trumpet and Aurelian Hybrids
Another great type of lily for beginner gardeners is the Trumpet and Aurelian hybrids. These varieties grow easily with the right conditions; however, they are very sensitive to cold climates. To survive through the winter, extra care is needed to protect these lilies from frost. Ensure to cover them in a thick layer of mulch for the winter, or select to grow them in containers that can easily be brought inside during winter.
Aurelian hybrids tend to be taller and bloom slightly later than standard Trumpet hybrids, though both can bloom between July and August.
These varieties tend to have very large-sized flowers, so the stems require additional support through staking. Flowers are available in pure white, gold, yellow, pink, orange, and plum.
Trumpet and Aurelian hybrids include:
- Black Dragon: a stunning flower with wide, crossing white petals with an inner bright yellow and offering a plum coating on the outside of each petal.
- Royal Gold: very delicate full sun yellow petals that gently curl round backward.
Longiflorum Hybrids
Also known as the Easter lily, Longiflorum hybrids are often used to decorate homes during Easter due to their pure white appearance.
Originating from Japan and Taiwan, although these lilies can grow well, they are very particular and delicate to weather changes. They are mostly grown in containers for this very reason.
If you choose to plant them outside, select a sheltered location to protect your lilies and position them in direct sunlight.
Longiflorum lilies are distinct with a trumpet-like shape and petals that face outwards that are pure white. Here are a couple of types of Longiflorum lilies:
- Nellie White: a pure white flower with a slight green tinge in the center of the petals. The flower offers a long trumpet shape with petals slightly folding outwards.
- White America: pure white-colored petals, but with long trumpet-shaped flowers that overlap one another.
Oriental Hybrids
Oriental hybrids are spectacular to view and smell. They are the most fragrant and offer very large flowers up to 8 inches wide.
Unlike many lily divisions we have covered, oriental hybrids have open petals that open wide and face upwards. They can be found in pink, purple, red, and white.
Oriental hybrids tend to have a later bloom period than other varieties, often blooming in August.
However beautiful they are, they aren’t the easiest to grow and due to their high pollen count, are not forgiving to hay fever sufferers.
They prefer acidic soil and lots of water. With extra care, you can reap the rewards of this beautiful division of lilies.
Oriental hybrids include:
- Mona Lisa: large pink flowers with a deep pink line across the middle from the tip to the base of each petal and dark pink speckled spots.
- Star Gazer: another stunningly bright pink flower with large, open petals that slightly curl back and contrast well with the deep orange stamens.
Candidum Hybrids
Candidum hybrids originate from Balkan and Mediterranean lilies. With white petals and a yellow base, these types of lilies are early bloomers, flowering between late spring and early summer.
They prefer to grow in an area with access to shade and slightly dry conditions compared to other lilies.
These types of lilies include:
- Madonna: offering pure white petals against bright orange stamens.
- June Fragrance: creamy-white petals with a strong fragrance and long, tall stems.
Interdivisional Hybrids
Interdivisional hybrids are slightly different from the previous 7 divisions covered in that they are created by crossing two of the previous divisions. This often creates types of lilies with very large, flat flowers that are slightly fragrant.
These varieties tend to grow between 3-6 feet high and don’t mind growing in partial to full sunlight. However, they can be tricky to grow in the beginning, similar to trumpet lilies. But their splendor and beauty can be worth the effort.
Interdivisional hybrids include:
- Flashpoint: a cross between oriental and trumpet lilies, this type of lily is highly fragrant and eye-catching. It has deep pink petal centers that are surrounded by a border of white.
- Scheherazade: another oriental and trumpet lily cross; this flower has deep crimson petals with a small, white border that face downwards.
Species Lilies
Species lilies are wild lilies that are native to North America, Europe, and Asia. From wild lilies, each of the previous divisions has been created.
Being native lilies, they are extremely adaptable to their environment and can thrive well, given the right care and growing conditions.
Although they aren’t as “show-stopping” as the hybrid varieties above, species lilies offer a classic, lily appearance with character and charm.
Here are some species of lilies:
- Martagon Lily: beautiful soft purple petals with lots of deep purple spots. Petals gently curl around and face downwards, displaying bright orange stamen.
- Leopard Lily: unlike any lily shared in this post, the Leopard lily has delicate, wide-spreading petals in a soft orange shade with dark red spots.
So there you have it, each of the 9 divisions of lilies under which every type of lily is classified. Although it isn’t possible to list every single lily in a single post, these suggestions should help you find the right lily to grow in your garden.
For more tips on what flowers to grow in your garden, take a look at some of these posts:
