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Plant care

Tiger Lily (Devil Lily) care

Lilium tigrinum

Also called Tiger Lily, Devil Lily, Ditch Lily.

RHS H7USDA 3–9Toxic to petsIndoor 90–150 cm tall

Watering rhythm

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

When top 3 cm of soil is dry

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Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Well-drained loam or sandy loam

Humidity

40–65%

Temp

5–28°C

Pet safety

Toxic to pets

Mature size

90–150 cm tall

Care at a glance

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Requires full sun to perform well — at least 6 hours of direct sun daily produces the strongest stems and most flowers. Tolerates partial shade but becomes floppy and flowering is reduced. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for tiger lily — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering tiger lily: when top 3 cm of soil is dry. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water regularly during spring growth and flowering. Once established it is moderately drought tolerant. Good drainage is critical; bulbs rot in persistently wet soil. Mulch around stems to retain moisture and keep bulbs cool.

Soil and pot

Tiger Lily grows best in well-drained loam or sandy loam. Adaptable to most well-drained soils. Tolerates slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5–7.0). Incorporates organic matter to improve moisture retention without waterlogging. Avoid freshly manured beds which promote bulb disease. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Tiger Lily sits happiest at around 40–65% humidity and 5–28°C (41–82°F). Tolerates a wide range of outdoor humidity. Good airflow between plants reduces the risk of Botrytis. Not suited to prolonged high indoor humidity. If you keep the room above 5–28°C year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed tiger lily sparingly. Apply a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in spring as growth begins. After flowering, switch to a high-potassium liquid feed to build bulb reserves for the following season. Avoid excessive nitrogen which leads to lush foliage but fewer blooms. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on tiger lily in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Lily beetle — Lilioceris lilii adults and larvae rapidly strip foliage. Check weekly from early spring; hand-pick adults (which drop and hide) and larvae; apply neem or pyrethrum if numbers are high.
  • Mosaic virus (spread by bulbils) — Tiger lily is a known carrier of Lily mosaic virus and can spread it to other Lilium species via aphids. Symptoms include streaked or mottled foliage. Grow tiger lilies away from other lilies and control aphid populations.
  • Basal rot (Fusarium oxysporum) — Infected bulbs show orange-brown internal staining and collapse at the base. Plant in fresh, well-drained soil; avoid wounding bulbs; rotate planting sites every 3–4 years.

Propagation

The easiest Lilium to propagate: collect stem bulbils (small black bead-like structures in leaf axils) in late summer, allow to dry briefly, and plant 3–5 cm deep in autumn. They reach flowering size in 2–3 years. Bulb offsets can also be divided in autumn. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Tiger Lily is toxic to pets. Severely toxic to cats (ASPCA confirmed, genus Lilium). All parts — leaves, flowers, pollen, stem, and bulbs — cause acute kidney failure in cats, often fatal within 24–72 hours without emergency treatment. Also noted to cause GI upset in dogs. Must be kept completely away from cats. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Tiger Lily care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Lilium tigrinum?

Lilium tigrinum is most commonly called Tiger Lily, but it is also known as Tiger Lily, Devil Lily, Ditch Lily. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Tiger Lily apply identically to anything sold as Devil Lily.

How much light does tiger lily need?

Tiger Lily grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Requires full sun to perform well — at least 6 hours of direct sun daily produces the strongest stems and most flowers. Tolerates partial shade but becomes floppy and flowering is reduced.

How often should I water tiger lily?

Water tiger lily when top 3 cm of soil is dry. Water regularly during spring growth and flowering. Once established it is moderately drought tolerant. Good drainage is critical; bulbs rot in persistently wet soil. Mulch around stems to retain moisture and keep bulbs cool. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is tiger lily toxic to cats and dogs?

Tiger Lily is toxic to pets. Severely toxic to cats (ASPCA confirmed, genus Lilium). All parts — leaves, flowers, pollen, stem, and bulbs — cause acute kidney failure in cats, often fatal within 24–72 hours without emergency treatment. Also noted to cause GI upset in dogs. Must be kept completely away from cats.

What USDA hardiness zone does tiger lily grow in?

Tiger Lily is rated for USDA zone 3–9 and RHS hardiness H7. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Tiger Lily deep-dive guides

Every aspect of tiger lily care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Tiger Lily qualifies for 6 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Tiger Lily is also known as Tiger Lily, Devil Lily, and Ditch Lily.