Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lilium lancifolium bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called tiger lily, devil lily, kentan (Lilium lancifolium).

More about lilium lancifolium

About Lilium lancifolium

Lilium lancifolium · also called tiger lily, devil lily · flowering

Lilium lancifolium is a robust Asiatic-type lily with recurved orange petals heavily spotted in black and prominent dark bulbils in the leaf axils. It flowers mid-to-late summer on tall stems, naturalises readily in borders, and is grown from scaly bulbs. Vigorous and easy, but every part is severely toxic to cats.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Botrytis (lily disease): Brown, water-soaked blotches on leaves and buds in wet weather. Improve airflow, avoid overhead watering, and remove affected foliage to slow the spread.

The reasons lilium lancifolium isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lilium lancifolium traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding lilium lancifolium a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get lilium lancifolium to flower

Maximise sun. Give lilium lancifolium the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for lilium lancifolium and get the feeding right with the lilium lancifolium fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Lilium lancifolium flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full lilium lancifolium care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lilium lancifolium blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lilium lancifolium flower?

Lilium lancifolium blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make lilium lancifolium bloom?

Give lilium lancifolium the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does lilium lancifolium normally bloom?