10 Types of Lilies To Grow in Your Garden

Candidum Lily

If you love history, you might like the candidum lily, Lilium candidum, commonly called Madonna lily. These are the ones most often seen in old paintings and stained-glass church windows. The Madonna lily has been grown in gardens for centuries.

Generally hardy in Zones 6 through 9, plant bulbs for these lilies in fall. They will grow up to six feet tall with white blooms in late spring to early summer. They grow best in a sunny spot with a bit of shade in the afternoon, with well-drained soil.

Candidum lilies go dormant in late summer and send up a rosette of leaves in fall to overwinter. Although it can be tricky to find the right spot for it, if you do, you’ll have an interesting historic plant in your garden. Looking for more spring flowers? Learn how to care for Easter cactus.

American Hybrid Lilies

As the name implies, American hybrid lilies are bred from lilies native to North America. The petals of the flowers often have spots, so they are sometimes called tiger, panther or leopard lilies.

Those common names are also given to many flowers that aren’t American hybrid lilies. Most actual American hybrid lilies come from the lily Lilium pardalinum, hardy in Zones 5 through 10.

Plant these lilies in full sun with moist, well-drained soil for mid-summer flowers. When purchasing these lilies, especially the species L. pardalinum, make sure it was cultivated in a nursery and not collected in the wild. That’s because there are fewer in the wild each year as wilderness areas are developed.

Easter Lilies

Walk into any big box store the week before Easter and you’ll probably see Easter lilies for sale. These lilies, with the plant name Lilium longiflorum, form their own lily group and are hardy in Zones 3 through 8.

Yes, you can plant the potted one you bought for Easter in your garden after the threat of frost. Just be mindful it was probably forced into early bloom to be ready for Easter. In your garden, an Easter lily will be a taller plant and bloom later in the summer.

Safety note: This lily, like many others, is poisonous to cats. If you suspect your cat ate a leaf, call your vet right away for treatment.

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