14 Beautiful Lily Varieties for Your Garden

'Stargazer' Lily

The vast number of lilies spoils today's gardeners with upward-facing flowers, but that characteristic only became possible in the late 1970s. When breeder Leslie Woodriff developed the first Oriental lily to feature flowers that faced the heavens, the 'Stargazer' cultivar (Lilium 'Stargazer') took the gardening (and florist) world by storm. This stunner is an Oriental hybrid lily, and it will perfume your entire garden in July, though some people will find the aroma overwhelming.

• Name: 'Stargazer' Lily (Lilium 'Stargazer')
• Flower Color: Pink, white
• USDA Growing Zones: 4-9
• Height: Up to 6 ft. tall, but most remain at 3-4 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun

'Casa Blanca' Lily

A grouping of fragrant 'Casa Blanca' lilies is a magnificent addition to the white flower garden. 'Casa Blanca' (Lilium 'Casa Blanca') is an Oriental hybrid with substantial, waxy petals that stand out in cut flower arrangements; it is especially popular in bridal arrangements. Some staking or a sheltered planting site will protect long stems from snapping. It blooms with intensely aromatic flowers in mid to late summer.

• Name: 'Casa Blanca' Lily (Lilium 'Casa Blanca')
• Flower Color: White
• USDA Growing Zones: 7-11
• Height: 3-4 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Turk's Cap' Lily

Avant-garde gardeners who crave something different will find it in the 'Turk's cap' lily (Lilium 'Martagon'/Lilium 'Superbum') from Asia, sometimes called a 'Martagon' lily. The stems bear many layers of flowers, sometimes speckled, in a pagoda-like shape. They are more shade-tolerant than most lilies. Plant 'Turk's cap' lilies in the fall in soil with excellent drainage. The plants are slow to establish and may not bloom in the first season. In addition to the native species, there are several hybrids available, produced by crosses with other similar species.

• Name: 'Turk's Cap' Lily (Lilium 'Martagon'/Lilium 'Superbum')
• Flower Color: Pink, purple, red
• USDA Growing Zones: 5-8
• Height: 3-6 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Tiny Bee' Lily

Small but mighty 'Tiny Bee' is a dwarf Asiatic hybrid lily that will glow along path edges and in patio containers. 'Tiny Bee' is an excellent choice for windy areas where taller specimens tend to snap and break. It blooms in mid-summer.

• Name: 'Tiny Bee' lily (Lilium 'Tiny Bee')
• Flower Color: Yellow
• USDA Growing Zones: 4
• Height: 1-2 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Lollipop' Lily

Two-toned Asiatic lilies like the 'Lollipop' (Lilium 'Lollipop') variety look best planted in masses of five, seven, or more to draw attention to their spectacular coloration. If you provide these lilies with rich, well-drained soil and consistent moisture, you can expect your investment of a few bulbs to grow into many plants over the years.

• Name: 'Lollipop' lily (Lilium 'Lollipop')
• Flower Color: White flowers with pinked tips
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-10
• Height: 1-1 1/2 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Tiger Lily

A long-lived and vigorous species of lily, tiger lilies (Lilium 'Lancifolium') are perfect for those new to lily growing. Pendulous flowers bear many orange or other colored blooms with charming freckles in summer. This Asian lily has become widely cultivated in the Northeast and blooms mid to late summer.

• Name: Tiger lily (Lilium 'Lancifolium')
• Flower Color: Orange, pink, red, yellow
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-10
• Height: 6-8 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Easter Lily

Sometime in March, you may notice containers of beautiful white lilies popping up everywhere, not just in the garden center. The so-called Easter lily (Lilium 'Longiflorum'), a native of Southern Japan and Taiwan, symbolizes purity and rebirth for Christians but can grace your garden long after the Easter bunny has left the building. This is a true species lily, not a hybrid, but it has served as a parent species for several hybrid lilies in the trumpet category (also called trumpet lily). Plant them in a sunny spot in the garden that has good drainage. They may return for years, blooming in July and August when planted in the garden.

• Name: Easter lily (Lilium 'Longiflorum')
• Flower Color: White, yellow, pink, cream
• USDA Growing Zones: 5-8
• Height: 2-3 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Regal' Lily

The 'Regal' (Lilium 'Regale') variety from Southwestern China bears trumpet-shaped white flowers similar to those you see on Easter lilies. However, unlike Easter lilies, the 'Regal' lily will grow considerably taller and needs support for its stems, which may bear two dozen 6-inch-long flowers each. It blooms in mid-summer.

• Name: 'Regal' lily (Lilium 'Regale')
• Flower Color: White with yellow throats
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-8
• Height: 4-6 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Acapulco' Lily

A clear, bright pink lily, the 'Acapulco' (Lilium 'Acupulco') hybrid Oriental lily will not disappoint gardeners who seek exotic perfumes in their summer landscapes. Be on the lookout for the lily leaf beetle, which can be a problem in some areas. If you have a small number of plants you can stop this red pest with determined handpicking. 'Acapulco' blooms in late summer.

• Name: 'Acapulco' lily (Lilium 'Acupulco')
• Flower Color: Pink
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-8
• Height: 3-4 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Elodie' Lily

Some lilies are better suited for the cutting garden than others. With the 'Elodie' (Lilium 'Elodie') Asiatic hybrid, you get all the petals without the bothersome pollen that irritates noses and drifts onto tabletops. 'Elodie' blooms with pale pink flowers in early to mid-summer.

• Name: 'Elodie' lily (Lilium 'Elodie')
• Flower Color: Pink
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-8
• Height: 3-4 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Robert Swanson' Lily

'Robert Swanson' (Lilium 'Robert Swanson') is sometimes described as an "Orienpet" lily since it is a cross between an Oriental hybrid and a trumpet lily. This yellow and red lily has enormous flowers up to 10 inches with recurved petals that bloom in mid to late summer.

• Name: 'Robert Swanson' lily (Lilium 'Robert Swanson')
• Flower Color: Yellow and red
• USDA Growing Zones: 4-8
• Height: Up to 6 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Luxor' Lily

The gold and bronze tones of the 'Luxor' (Lilium 'Luxor') hybrid will make a splash in your summer garden, especially when planted with orange companion plants such as cosmos or milkweed. The flowers are yellow, heavily speckled with red interiors, blooming in mid-summer.

Hybrid lilies like 'Luxor' do not come true from seed, so propagate them by lifting the bulbs and peeling away baby bulblets, or peeling off bulb scales to replant.

• Name: 'Luxor' lily (Lilium 'Luxor')
• Flower Color: Yellow and red
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-8
• Height: 3 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Tiny Double You' Lily

Lilies are not off-limits to gardeners with small plots. A dwarf Asiatic lily like the 'Tiny Double You' (Lilium 'Tiny Double You') cultivar will tuck into a few square feet in a sunny patch. Dwarf lilies have fewer leaves to sacrifice for cutting, so admire these beauties where they grow so plants have the energy to form new blossoms next season. 'Tiny Double You' has deep orange double flowers that bloom in mid-summer.

• Name: 'Tiny Double You' lily (Lilium 'Tiny Double You')
• Flower Color: Orange
• USDA Growing Zones: 4-8
• Height: Just over 1 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Matrix' Lily

The intensely colored flowers of the 'Matrix' (Lilium 'Matrix') Asiatic hybrid lily are mesmerizing. With a high bud count of up to seven flowers per stem, you only need a few bulbs to create a focal point in the early summer landscape. It blooms in early to mid-summer. The petite stalks of 'Matrix' lilies are just right for the container garden. 

• Name: 'Matrix' lily (Lilium 'Matrix')
• Flower Color: Red to orange
• USDA Growing Zones: 4-8
• Height: 2 ft.
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade