The illustrated growing guide
Lily
Lilium (Asiatic & Oriental)
Family Liliaceae
Est. zones 3-8
True lilies, not daylilies. Orienpets are the modern answer: tree-lily height, Oriental perfume, Asiatic toughness. Absolute red line: NO lilies in cat households.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Moderate growth
Deer-resistant
Attracts butterflies
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will lily suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what lily actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8Lily at a glance
Common lily problems
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow lily: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate lily
When to spray lily
Growing season. Daily red-beetle patrol May-June where it's arrived; plant bulbs in gravel-lined holes vs voles.
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The year
What lily asks for, month by month.
The lily year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The lily year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun bloom
- Jul quiet month
- Aug bloom
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Lily in the garden system
What lily is grown for
⚠ Toxic if eatenEXTREMELY toxic to CATS — pollen alone can kill; dog-mild
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of lily, ruled as a catalogue.
Best lily varieties & cultivars
Asiatics ('Tiny' series, no scent, tough); Orientals ('Stargazer', 'Casa Blanca' — perfume bombs); Orienpets ('Conca d'Or' — 6 ft, best of both)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to lilyyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Lily questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat lily?
Rarely — lily is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is lily safe for kids and pets?
No — treat it as toxic if eaten. EXTREMELY toxic to CATS — pollen alone can kill; dog-mild Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate lily?
Offsets, division, or bulbils.
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Elsewhere
Where lily sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily