How to Grow and Care for Tiger Lilies

Tiger lily is a common herbaceous perennial with strappy leaves and long flowering stems topped with typically curved orange petals with dark speckled spots. Tiger lilies grow best in the sun in slightly acidic, well-draining soil. The plant tolerates swings in temperature and humidity without fuss. The pollen is toxic to humans and the plant is toxic to cats but not dogs or horses.

Tiger Lily Care

Here are the basic steps to successfully growing easy-care tiger lilies.

• Place tiger lilies in a sunny spot or partial shade if the afternoon sun is too intense.
• Plant tiger lilies in a spot with good drainage because a waterlogged area can rot the bulbs.
• Water your lilies regularly for the first few years until their root system has matured. Mature tiger lilies can better tolerate some drought.
  

Light

Tiger lilies prefer to grow in a sunny location with roughly at least six hours of direct sun on most days. However, these tough specimens are not nearly as fussy about growing conditions as many other flowering plants are. They will tolerate partial shade and can actually benefit when shaded from the hot afternoon sun.

Soil

To ensure proper soil drainage for the bulbs, you might need to amend your soil with compost or humus. Peat moss, sand, or straw mixed into the beds are also options to improve drainage and retain appropriate moisture. Otherwise, tiger lilies can tolerate various soil types, though they prefer soil that's fairly fertile and slightly acidic.

Water

Tiger lilies have average water needs. Mature plants can tolerate some drought, but they still prefer consistent watering. If your area receives regular rainfall, that should be sufficient to keep them happy. If the soil is very dry, you'll probably need to water them regularly to prevent the soil from drying out.

Temperature and Humidity

Tiger lilies begin to grow in the spring after the last frost and go dormant in the fall and winter. If you live within their USDA hardiness zones, the temperature shouldn't be an issue. Tiger lilies also grow well in both humid and dry environments, provided the soil moisture is appropriate. They tolerate hot summer days if the bulbs have been planted deep enough to remain cool. It's a good idea to plant lower-growing annual or perennial plants near or around tiger lilies to protect their roots from drying out in hot weather.

Fertilizer

Tiger lilies don't need much fertilizer. A layer of compost around the base of the plants once or twice a year should provide all of the nutrition they require. Apply mulch in late spring to keep the roots cool during the summer. If you want to encourage more flowering, you can use a 5-10-5 fertilizer. When growing these plants in alkaline soils, feeding with an acidifying fertilizer might be beneficial.

Types of Tiger Lily

The familiar orange tiger lily is a pure species with no named cultivars. However, L. lancifolium has been crossed with other species to create lilies with red, pink, white, and yellow flowers. These are often unnamed cultivars and they all have the characteristic black or brown spots on petals that sharply curve backward. These two characteristics are not found together on any other types of lilies.

There are also many other related species and hybrids within the genus Lilium. Fortunately, they do not all bloom at once. Rather, they disperse their vibrant colors and bold floral shapes across June, July, and August. This makes them valued allies for gardeners who demand a colorful variety of flowers throughout the summer months. There are nine individual classes of lilies within the official classification system but most gardeners will find their needs met by these three types of lilies.

• Asiatic hybrids: These lilies generally flower in June into July, producing blooms in red, orange, yellow, white, pink, and more. These durable, easy-to-grow plants multiply and spread with little effort. These lilies fall into Division 1 in the official lily classification system.
• Easter lilies (Longiflorum hybrids): Easter lilies are often forced into early bloom pots for early spring celebrations. When planted in the garden—or if potted plants are kept growing in their pots—they usually bloom in midsummer. These lilies belong to Division 5 and feature trumpet-shaped brilliant white flowers.
• Oriental hybrids: Oriental hybrids, such as the famous stargazer lily, generally begin blooming mid- to late summer and feature large, spectacular flowers in rich colors and spicy scents. They are more delicate than Asiatic lilies and the bulbs might lose their vigor after a few years, requiring replanting. Oriental lilies fall into Division 7.

Pruning

Foliage on the lower part of the stalks will fade first (in late summer). These yellow leaves won't be as noticeable if the plants are growing in the back row of a garden bed. Once all of the leaves have yellowed by late fall, cut the stalks down to ground level, and dispose of them.

Propagating Tiger Lilies

If you want to propagate your lilies, do so with bulbils (small bulbs that form on the parent plant) or by bulb division. Ideally, do this in spring before the season's growth picks up or divide them in the fall in warmer climates. Here's how:

1. Carefully dig up the entire plant when it is dormant.
2. Gently separate the individual bulbs.
3. Replant your bulbs as separate plants with the pointed side aimed upward.

Bulbils form along the stem of the plant at the leaf axils. If you wish to minimize spreading, remove the bulbils and dispose of them. Or if you wish to propagate, remove the bulbils and pot them. Bulbils take an extra year of growth before they bloom.

How to Grow Tiger Lily From Seed

It’s easy to grow tiger lilies from their seeds, or bulbils. Plant them in the fall after they’ve ripened on their parent plant or in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Take these steps:

• Plant each bulbil, roots downward, roughly 1/2 to 1 inch deep in the soil.
• Place them in a spot that receives bright, indirect light.
• Keep the soil lightly moist but never soggy.
• Root growth will occur over the winter, followed by foliage growth once the temperature warms in the spring.

Potting and Repotting Tiger Lily

When growing tiger lilies in containers, select a pot that’s at least 8 inches wide and deep with plenty of drainage holes. Unglazed clay is an ideal container material to allow excess moisture to evaporate through its walls. Use a quality, well-draining potting mix.

You’ll likely have to repot or divide your plant every couple of years. If you notice roots growing out of the drainage holes or popping above the soil line, that’s a good sign that your plant is root-bound and needs a bigger pot. To repot, gently ease the plant out of its old pot. Position it at the same depth in a new pot that allows for a couple of inches between the root ball and the container wall. Fill around it with fresh potting mix.

Overwintering

Tiger lilies will go dormant over the winter. The bulbs can survive freezing temperatures in the ground, but they'll benefit from a couple of inches of mulch over their planting site for insulation. Also, make sure the planting site never becomes waterlogged, as the bulbs need very little water while they're dormant.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Tiger lilies are a resilient species and aren't very susceptible to disease. However, they can harbor viruses, such as lily mosaic virus, that can harm other types of lilies. If you suspect this disease, pull and destroy the plants and bulbs but do not add them to your compost bin.

Lily leaf beetles (Lilioceris lilii) and aphids can be problematic pests for the lilies. So treat your plants as soon as possible if you notice damaged leaves.

How to Get Tiger Lily to Bloom

Bloom Months

Tiger lilies are one of the later flowering plants, blooming by mid to late summer each year. While the flowers only bloom once annually, the bloom period can stretch into early fall.

What Do Tiger Lilies Look and Smell Like?

Tiger lilies are striking and unmistakable with their large bright orange and dramatically curved petals filled with dark speckles. The flowers also come in red, white, pink, or yellow. The flowers typically measure about 5 inches long and usually face downward. Tiger lilies are unscented.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Continue to ensure proper moisture levels while the plant is in bloom. Tiger lilies only bloom once a year but they produce as many as 10 flowers per stem.

If your tiger lilies have substantially reduced their output of flowers, it may be time to divide the bulbs to rejuvenate them because they are likely overcrowded. Do so when the foliage is yellow between fall and spring before the plant's growth period.

Deadheading Tiger Lilies

Deadheading, or removing the spent blooms, isn’t essential, but it can help to prolong the bloom period.

Common Problems With Tiger Lily

Tiger lilies tend to thrive when given the environment they like. But if conditions are off, they can develop some problems. Watch for these signs.

Leaves Turning Yellow

If your tiger lily’s foliage is yellowing, that’s often a sign of overwatering and/or poor drainage. An overall droopy appearance or a lack of blooms also can be signs of too much moisture. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings. If this doesn’t do the trick, you might need to dig up your bulbs and amend the soil the improve drainage.

Plant Turning Brown

If any parts of the plants are turning brown, it may be an aphid infestation. Aphids are enemies of most lilies and can multiply quickly. Use insecticidal sprays to at least reduce the aphid population.

Holes in Leaves

When you find holes or near holes in the leaves, this is usually a sign of lily leaf beetles. Spray the leaves with insecticides to kill these pests.