Lilium - Care Tips

A lily is grown as a cut flower and as a pot plant, and the large, trumpet-shaped flowers come in a variety of colorways, both monochromatic and multi-colored. Well-known varieties are the white, red and Turkish lily.

If one flower has a meaning, it is the lily. The lily is literally full of symbolism; she represents amiability, purity, love, fertility, femininity, unity and impermanence, all in one flower.

Plant in spring or autumn

Buy lily bulbs in the spring or autumn and plant them directly in the ground. In general, the larger the bulb, the larger the flower.

Plant the bulbs about 10 to 15 cm deep. The distance you have to keep between the bulbs depends on the bulb size. This is usually between 20 and 40 cm. Provide soil that is well-draining and give the bulbs plenty of water, but don't overdo it.

At the end of the blooming season, you can remove the dead flowers and seed pods. Let the leaves die and then remove them. The longer the bulbs are in a permanent place, the more beautiful and impressive the root ball will grow. We recommend transplanting the bulbs every three to four years to keep them healthy.

Various other lily species

There are many plant species that bear the name lily in their name. This does not mean that they are also related to the Asiatic lily; on the contrary, most of the other species are not even remotely related.

Water lily - Nymphaea: This beautiful floating aquatic plant, which evokes memories of the fairy tale of the Indian Water lilies in the Efteling, can be found throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa. In the symbolism they stand for purity.

The flowering period is from May to August, and if you see a pond, river, ditch or puddle where water lilies grow, you know for sure that the water quality is good. This aquatic plant lives on nutrients in the water, which limits algae growth.

African lily - Agapanthus africanus: Recognizable, large clumps of blue and white flowers. The leaves in particular are somewhat reminiscent of the daylily. It is a very simple plant to care for, brightening up your garden with large amounts of flowers in white and various shades of blue and purple. It is not for nothing that it is such a popular garden plant!

Peace lily – Spathiphyllum: This originally South American plant is better known in the Netherlands as the spoon plant or the vane plant, but the 'peace lily', translated from English, still sounds a lot nicer. This houseplant is a great air freshener! It produces a lot of oxygen and removes harmful substances such as benzene and formaldehyde from the air. What more can you ask for?

Toad Lily - Tricyrtis formosana: This beautiful flower is also called the poor man's orchid, which is easy to understand; orchids have always been very precious flowers, but this lily, which is less expensive, is second to none.

Lily of the Valley - Convallaria majalis: The lily of the valley or lily of the valley likes to grow in wooded areas. It is a poisonous plant, but for good reason. They contain cardiac glycosides, which is poisonous when ingested, but at the same time is a powerful drug. It is used by the pharmaceutical industry for certain heart complaints.

There is a beautiful tradition in France and Wallonia where on May 1 the children give lilies of the valley to their mothers and grandmothers.

Daylily - Hemerocallis fulva: The name of this plant refers to the inflorescence of the plant. The flower opens at sunrise and dies at sunset. The plant requires virtually no maintenance and thousands of varieties are now available. The cheerful color scheme is a feast for your garden, and the daylily is also edible. They taste fresh and crunchy, although the darker varieties can be a bit spicy. Enjoy your dinner!

Palm lily - Yucca filamentosa: A lily from yet another angle; the yucca is a perennial with white flowers, which also provides greenery in your garden in winter.

Heart lily - Hosta sieboldiana: This plant, which used to be called funkia, is now better known as the hosta. It is a plant from the far east and it comes from the same family as the lily of the valley; the Asparagaceae (asparagus family). There are also thousands of varieties of this plant today, most of which do fine in a shady spot.

Care advice for bouquets with lilies

Lilies are cared for in the same way as most flower varieties. Note that the pollen of the lily can cause nasty spots. Make sure you don't go over this with a wet cloth, but with a dry brush. You can also carefully remove the pollen from your clothing with tape.