Trumpet Lily

Trumpet lilies produce large, outward-flaring trumpet-shaped flowers with a glorious fragrance, combining the cold hardiness of Asiatic lilies with the intoxicating perfume of orientals. Growing 120-180cm tall on strong stems, they bloom in mid-summer (July-August) and can carry 12-20 flowers per stem on mature plants. The regal lily (Lilium regale) is the most famous trumpet lily.

Plant bulbs 20cm deep in autumn or spring in well-drained, fertile soil in full sun. Trumpet lilies are more tolerant of alkaline soil than oriental types, accepting a pH range of 6.0-7.5. Good drainage is essential—mulch heavily to keep roots cool and moist. Install stakes at planting time for these tall, heavy-flowering plants.

Trumpet lilies are long-lived and increase well in favorable conditions, gradually forming multi-stemmed clumps that become more impressive each year. Remove developing seed pods after flowering and allow foliage to ripen naturally to nourish the bulb.

Trumpet lilies trace their ancestry to several wild lily species native to eastern Asia, particularly Lilium longiflorum from the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Lilium regale from the mountainous valleys of western Sichuan province in China, and Lilium sargentiae from similar Chinese highland regions. Lilium longiflorum was first described by the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1794 after encountering it during his travels in Japan, and it quickly became one of the most commercially important lilies in the world, eventually becoming the iconic Easter lily of the Western floral trade. Lilium regale was introduced to Western horticulture by the renowned plant explorer Ernest Henry Wilson, who collected bulbs in the Min River valley of China in 1903 and again in 1908 during a harrowing expedition in which he broke his leg in a rockslide. Wilson recognized the extraordinary garden potential of this tough, fragrant species and sent over 6,000 bulbs to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. The modern trumpet lily hybrids, classified as Division VI in the international lily classification system maintained by the Royal Horticultural Society, were largely developed through the pioneering work of Jan de Graaff at Oregon Bulb Farms in the mid-20th century. De Graaff crossed L. regale, L. sargentiae, L. leucanthum, and L. sulphureum to produce the famous Aurelian hybrids beginning in the 1940s, creating vigorous plants with improved hardiness, disease resistance, and a wider color range including gold, apricot, and pink shades beyond the white of the parent species. Today trumpet lilies remain prized by gardeners worldwide for their dramatic stature, enormous fragrant blooms, and reliable perennial performance in temperate climates across USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9.

Trumpet lilies grow in well-drained, fertile soil with a pH of 6.0-7.5—more alkaline-tolerant than oriental types. Incorporate compost and bone meal before planting. Feed in spring with balanced bulb fertilizer and high-potassium feed as buds develop. Heavy mulching keeps roots cool.

Trumpet lilies make magnificent cut flowers. Cut when the first buds show color and are beginning to open—remaining buds open in sequence over 7-10 days. One stem perfumes an entire room. Remove pollen anthers to prevent staining. Leave at least one-third of the stem on the plant.

Leave bulbs in the ground year-round in well-drained soil. If moving or dividing, lift in autumn, handle carefully (no protective skin), and replant immediately. Store briefly in barely damp peat or vermiculite if needed.