Lily

Flower care guide

Lily

Large trumpet blooms that arrive mostly closed and open over the better part of a week. Oriental varieties carry a heavy scent; Asiatic varieties carry almost none.

In season

Year round.

Also known as

Oriental lily, Stargazer lily, Asiatic lily, Lilium

Caring for your lilies

Recut the stems at an angle and remove any leaves below the waterline. Lilies are not especially thirsty, but they dislike dirty water, so change it every two or three days.

As each bloom opens, pinch out the orange pollen-bearing anthers at the centre with a tissue. Lily pollen stains fabric permanently and does not brush out; removing it also makes each flower last a little longer.

An important warning for cat owners. True lilies are severely toxic to cats. Every part of the plant is dangerous, including the pollen, and a cat brushing past a stem and then grooming itself can be poisoned. If you have a cat, tell us when you order and we will design with something else. If a cat has had contact with a lily, treat it as an emergency and call a vet.

Buds open from the bottom of the stem upward. Snip off each flower as it finishes and the ones above will keep coming.

Lilies open in sequence rather than all at once, so a stem carries on flowering after the first bloom has gone over.

Arrangements with this flower