Getting it to bloom

Why won't my True lily bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Asiatic lily, Oriental lily, Easter lily, tiger lily, stargazer lily (Lilium spp.).

More about true lily

About True lily

Lilium spp. · also called Asiatic lily, Oriental lily · flowering

True lilies are bulbous perennials grown for their large, dramatic, often fragrant blooms on tall upright stems. Popular as cut flowers and garden plants. CRITICAL: every part is deadly to cats — keep out of any home with a cat.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: Too little light or bulbs planted too shallow; give full sun and depth.

The reasons true lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming true lily 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 true lily 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 true lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give true lily 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 true lily and get the feeding right with the true lily 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

True lily 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 true lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

True lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my true lily flower?

True lily 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 true lily bloom?

Give true lily 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 true lily normally bloom?