14 Recommended Lily Varieties for Your Garden

'Stargazer' Lily (Lilium 'Stargazer')

Today's gardeners are spoiled by the vast number of lilies with upward-facing flowers, but that was not a given during the 1970s. When breeder Leslie Woodriff developed the first Oriental lily to feature flowers that faced the heavens, the 'Stargazer' cultivar took the gardening (and florist) world by storm. This stunner will perfume your entire garden in July, though a few people will find the aroma overwhelming.

• Native Area: NA; this is an Oriental hybrid lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9
• Height: Up to 6 feet, but most remain at 3 to 4 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun

'Casa Blanca' Lily (Lilium 'Casa Blanca')

A grouping of fragrant 'Casa Blanca' lilies is a magnificent addition to the white flower garden. '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.

• Native Area: NA; this is an Oriental hybrid lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 11
• Height: 3 to 4 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Turk's Cap' Lily (Lilium 'Martagon'/Lilium 'Superbum')

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

• Native Area: Asia, Europe
• USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
• Height: 3 to 6 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Tiny Bee' Lily (Lilium 'Tiny Bee')

Small but mighty 'Tiny Bee' is 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.

• Native Area: NA; this is an Asiatic hybrid lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 4
• Height: 1 to 2 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Lollipop' Lily (Lilium 'Lollipop')

Two-toned Asiatic lilies like the '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.

• Native Area: NA; this is an Asiatic hybrid lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 10
• Height: 1 to 1 1/2 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Tiger Lily (Lilium 'Lancifolium')

A long-lived and vigorous species of lily, tiger lilies are perfect for those new to lily growing. Pendulous flowers bear many orange blooms with charming freckles in summer. It blooms in mid to late summer.

• Native Area: Asia; has also naturalized across eastern North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 10
• Height: 6 to 8 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Easter Lily (Lilium 'Longiflorum')

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 is a symbol of purity and rebirth for Christians, but it 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 a number of hybrid lilies in the trumpet category (it also is known as a 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.

• Native Area: Southern Japan, Taiwan, United States
• USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
• Height: 2 to 3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Regal' Lily (Lilium 'Regale')

The 'Regal' variety 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.

• Native Area: Southwestern China
• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
• Height: 4 to 6 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Acapulco' Lily (Lilium 'Acupulco')

A clear, bright pink lily, the 'Acapulco' 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.

• Native Area: NA; this is an Oriental hybrid lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
• Height: 3 to 4 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Elodie' Lily (Lilium 'Elodie')

Some lilies are better suited for the cutting garden than others. With the '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.

• Native Area: NA; this is a hybrid Asiatic lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
• Height: 3 feet to just over 4 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Robert Swanson' Lily (Lilium 'Robert Swanson')

'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.

• Native Area: NA; this is a hybrid lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
• Height: Up to 6 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Luxor' Lily (Lilium 'Luxor')

The gold and bronze tones of the '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.

• Native Area: NA; this is a hybrid Asiatic lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
• Height: 3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Tiny Double You' Lily (Lilium 'Tiny Double You')

Lilies are not off-limits to gardeners with small plots. A dwarf Asiatic lily like the '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.

• Native Area: NA; this is a hybrid Asiatic lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
• Height: Just over 1 foot
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

'Matrix' Lily (Lilium 'Matrix')

The intensely colored flowers of the '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. 

• Native Area: NA; this is a hybrid Asiatic lily
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
• Height: 2 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade