Check out the best Types of Lilies that you have never seen yet! Read the full article and fill your garden with these exotic examples!
Lilies are one of the most beautiful ornamental flowering species and a staple of many gardens. With their large, showy and often fragrant blossoms, they can add an instant appeal to any place you are going to plant them. And now, with the new interspecific hybrids, you have so many options to choose from! Here are the best Types of Lilies that you can bring home.
Check out our article on the best Impatiens types here
Types of Lilies: A Detailed Guide
Asiatic Hybrids
Asiatic lilies showcase beautiful, large flowers, approximately 4-6 inches over the 2-5 feet tall stems. Typically, these flowers don’t have fragrance and hang downwards or face outwards. They come in a range of colors that include white, red, pink, orange, and yellow. These early-blooming lilies are easy-to-grow and perform well in the sunshine.
1. Big Bang
“Big-Bang’ features six-petaled, out-facing flowers in a creamy white hue, filled with burgundy spots and swirls. The stamens are crowned with dark bronze anthers. It can reach up to 3-4 feet tall.
2. Black Out
This eye-catching lily features upward-facing, dark red flowers with red stamens. The glossy petals have deep burgundy shades near the center with raised spots. This 2-3 feet tall plant produces a cluster of 4-5 flowers.
3. Black Spider
‘Black Spider’ grows up to a height of 2-3 feet. It bears round-edged, ivory white to yellow flowers with a plum center, sprinkled in dots. It can be a fascinating addition to your garden and is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
4. Brunello
‘Brunello’ lily is prized with eye-catching green buds that bloom into shiny orange large flower heads with dark green foliage.
5. Brushstroke
This vigorous plant produces large, upward-facing yellow-white flowers with beautiful dark purple brushstroke-like stripes on the petals. It grows up to 4-6 feet tall.
6. Crete
This lily variety bears a cluster of yellow buds that open into upward-facing magenta flowers in summer. The upright towering plant can reach up to 3-4 feet tall.
7. Connecticut King
This clumping variety displays spirally-arranged shiny leaves. The clusters of flowers bloom in deep yellow to golden shades on 2-3 feet high plant.
8. Corsica
‘Corsica’ flowers in late-spring and forms upward-facing stout blossoms in the shades of pink mixed in yellow with dark pink dots on petals. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
9. Dot Com
‘Dot Com’ offers large 5-9 flowers on a single stem. The bowl-shaped flowers have purple-pink petals with red spots in the middle.
10. Enchantment
‘Enchantment’ has notable deep orange flowers, sprinkled with black dots. It can grow up to 2-3 feet tall. This variety is considered as one of the best lily hybrids.
Fact: ‘Enchantment’ is a winner of the hall of Fame by the North American Lily Society
11. Fire King
This hybrid variety has lightly scented, deep red-orange flowers with purple spots. The leaves curl outward, showing off the orange stamens. It can grow up to 5-6 feet tall.
12. Gran Paradiso
The yellow buds open in orange-red flowers, which have wide shiny petals that curl up at the ends. The center is bright orange with beautiful undersides, tinged in the shades of dark red.
13. Grand Cru
This stunning lily has yellow flowers, with dark anthers and red markings in the middle of the petals. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
Fact: It won the Award of Garden Merit in 2002 by the Royal Horticultural Society.
14. King Pete
Another Garden Merit Award Winner, this beautiful lily surprises with its creamy yellow, downward-facing flowers, adorned with orange center and brown spots.
15. Last Dance
This attractive lily forms light flowers that bow with the wind. The downward-facing blossoms are lemony-yellow and have curved petals. It attains a height of 4-5 feet.
16. Monte Negro
The entirely red flowers with dark green foliage create a beautiful focal point if grown in large numbers with several plants.
17. Patricia’s Pride
This extraordinary six-petaled flower looks like a star has formed inside a star. The creamy-white blossoms have dark plum markings on each petal that resembles the shape of a star, adding more beauty with appealing stamens in green filaments.
18. PIxie Series
This fragrant dwarf lily produces showy trumpet-shaped, bright-colored flowers with lovely spots throughout the summer.
19. Pollyanna
‘Pollyanna’ lilies are popular for their airy flowers that have bright yellow hue with deep gold flush and small brown blotches in the center. It grows up to 4-5 feet tall and flowers throughout the summer.
20. Push Off
This two-toned lily can be an excellent addition to your garden. It shows off maroon-red flowers with white tips. It blossoms from late spring to early summer.
21. Red Velvet
This classic lily is known for its inverted bowl-shaped, eye-catching, dark red flowers with backward-curling petals. It can reach up to 4-5 feet tall and produce more flowers year by year.
Fact: Red velvet was in the Hall of Fame by the North American Lily Society.
22. Rosella’s Dream
This lily is truly a dream flower! ‘Rosella’s Dream’ is valued for its creamy white petals with soft pink edges. The center of the flower looks dark due to the golden to red anthers, splashed with brown freckles.
23. Royal Sunset
This lily reminds of sunset with its fragrant, large, ornamental flowers in orange to gold shade, with maroon dots and red petal tips on 3-4 feet upright plant. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
24. Salmon Twinkle
This decorative flower displays down-facing creamy yellow flowers, with salmon pink tips and midrib. The recurved petals are adorned with brown freckles that make this lily more beautiful.
25. Sundrenched
‘Sundrenched’ produces large six-petaled flower in yellow shade filled with brown-red dots on shiny deep green stalks, covered with narrow green leaves. It looks like flowers are bleeding as fading red shade runs from the midrib of each petal, blushing the tips.
26. Tibetan Snow
It showcases a cluster of pendant-like white flowers, with creamy yellow color flowing along the undersides of the petal’s midrib. This lily variety does not have pollens like other hybrid varieties, hence reproduced by division.
27. Tiny Todd
This early-flowering lily was developed in the Netherlands for container gardening. It offers upward-facing white flowers, mixed with pale pink.
28. White Butterflies
This Asiatic lily is admired for its tall cluster of white flowers, with pink bottom sides. When the flower fully opens, curling petals uncover the contrasting stamens.
Martagon Hybrids
Also known as ‘martagons hansonii hybrids,’ they are distinguished by downward-facing ‘Turk’s cap-like’ small flowers, with leaf whorls on 3-6 feet tall stems. They start flowering at the beginning of summer with an unpleasant fragrance. This hybrid variety performs well in the shade and is available in orange, white, pink, yellow, lavender, and maroon hues splashed with spots.
29. Arabian Knight
‘Arabian Knight’ is a stunning variety that forms small, pendant-like, russet-orange flowers, splattered with red spots on a slender stalk. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
30. Claude Shride
The airy flowers look amazing with deep maroon flowers having orange edges and leopard skin-like markings. The fully exposed, golden pollen-covered anthers complement the beauty of each flower.
31. Manitoba Morning
This lily abundantly produces 40-50, pendulum-like, red-pink flowers with down-facing golden stamens on each stem. The red-speckled flower opens in early June and combines well with other tall shrubs in the garden.
32. Mrs. R.O. Backhouse
This beautiful variety was named after the wife of Robert Ormston Backhouse who presented the plant in 1921. The buds have a soft pink hue and open in downward-facing golden-orange flower, with only the backside carrying the blush.
33. Pink Morning
This profusely flowering lily produces 45-50 pale pink flowers with deep purple spots per stem. The airy flowers fill the atmosphere with a lovely fragrance while swaying with the wind.
34. Scarlet Morning
‘Scarlet Morning’ is known for its gorgeous bright orange blushed deep red downward-facing flowers, with prominent stamens and deep plum undersides.
35. Sunny Morning
It features bouquet-like, downward-facing, bright orange flushed deep red flowers with prominent stamens with plum undersides. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
36. Terrace City
This lily variety showcases pretty light pink buds with red tips that open into golden yellow flowers with curved petals that are heavily mottled. The center matches the rough orange anthers. It can reach up to 4-6 feet high.
37. Album
‘Album’ lily grows up to 3-4 feet high, It produces fragrant Turk’s cap white flower on green stalks. The leaves are dark green at the bottom and have a lighter tone towards the top.
Candidum Hybrids
Candidum hybrids produce funnel or cone-shaped fragrant blossoms that flower during early summer on 3-4 feet tall stems. This hybrid category was made from the Madonna lily or L.candidum and other European varieties.
38. June Fragrance
‘June Fragrance’ is the most adorable Candidum hybrids. It forms attractive fragrant creamy-white flowers during summer. The flower was also used to create new Candidum varieties.
39. Lilium x testaceum ‘Nanking’
‘Nanking’ lily is the first successful Candidum hybrid invented in 1836 by the German Franz Anton Haagc. The flowers are delicate yellow with brown tints.
American Hybrids
This variety is hybridized from lily species, native to North America. These lilies lack fragrance and their flowering depend on the planting zone. In warmer zones, they flower later in spring at the beginning of the summer. While in cool zones, they bloom in mid-summer. The flowers come in the category of ‘Turk’s cap type’ and hang downwards, while some of them produce funnel-like flowers on a tall stem that range between 4-8 feet.
40. Canadense/ Canada Lily
Native to Eastern parts of North America, this lily flaunts downward-facing mottled flowers in yellow and red shade. It can grow up to 4-5 feet tall in dappled light, from June to July.
41. Catesbaei/ Catesby’s Lily
Also known as Pine lily, this flower is found in the coastal regions of Eastern South America. The yellow-orange frilled flowers have pointed petals with mahogany spots on yellow petals.
42. Columbianum/ Columbia Lily
The Columbian lilies can be seen in the open woods of western North America, The orange flowers are lightly fragrant and have dark spots on outward curled petals on 4-5 feet tall plant.
43. Grayi/ Gray’s Lily
The overlapping funnel-shaped flowers have orange petals with spots. This variety was discovered by botanist Asa Gray. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
44. Iridollae/ Panhandle Lily
This variety was discovered in 1940 by Mary Henry. It was stated as a ‘pot of gold at the end of the rainbow’ because of down-facing golden flowers.
45. Michauxii/ Carolina Lily
‘Carolina Lily’ shows off nodding speckled yellow-red flowers with curved petals, The yellow-green stamens, with dark brown anthers, charmingly complement the entire look of the flower.
46. Michiganense/ Michigan Lily
Michigan lily produces red-orange flowers on soft green stalks, with finely arranged spirals of long leaves and parallel veins during summer.
47. Pardalinum/ Leopard Lily
‘Leopard lily’ is popular for its half yellow, half orange petals with leopard-skin like patterns on petals, hence the name. Many cultivars are available that vary in shapes and petal colors.
48. Philadelphicum/ Philadelphia Lily
Also known as Wood lily, most varieties can grow up to 2-3 feet tall and form 3-5 flowers on each stalk. The cup-shaped flowers are equally spaced and have red-orange petals with purple-brown spots.
Longiflorum Hybrids
Longiflorum Hybrids flower in the middle of summer. These lilies are hybridized from Easter lily or l.longiflorum species and can be planted from seeds. The flowers are bowl-shaped, fragrant, and curved back atop 3-4 feet tall stem.
49. Deliana
This lily flowers in summer and forms trumpet-shaped, wide-petaled, creamy yellow flowers with green tinges. The green foliage creates a beautiful contrast for the bright-colored flowers.
50. Elegant Lady
‘Elegant Lady’ produces fragrant purple-pink flowers, with chartreuse green undertones on strong upright stems having contrasting dark green foliage. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
51. Triumphator
This bicolor lily is popular for its fragrant white-petaled flowers embellished with a rich pink center that spreads outwards. The large flowers with shiny dark green leaves are set on 5-6 feet tall stems.
52. White Elegance
‘White Elegance’ is considered as one of the hardiest Longiflorum lilies. The flowers are heat and humidity tolerant. Its leaves and petals are thick enough that withstand scorching. The large yellow-green buds open in pure white flowers that lean obliquely.
53. White Heaven
‘White heaven’ features truly divine sweet-smelling, pure-white flowers with a green center and yellow anthers. A cluster of 3-6 flowers is borne on narrow green stems.
Trumpet and Aurelian Hybrids
Trumpet and Aurelian Hybrids were originated from Asian species like L.henryi and L.regale. They form large, waxy fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers, in a range of colors on 4-8 feet tall stems from mid to late summer. The flowers face in an upward direction or bend downward, whereas flowers of other varieties are flat, reflexed, or bowl-shaped.
54. African Queen
This award-winning variety is popular for its large, fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers. The beautiful petals are bright orange with tinges of burgundy on the undersides with stamens. Clusters of 15-20 flowers are borne on 4-6 feet tall stems.
55. Golden Splendor
‘Golden Splendor’ was Introduced in 1957. The trumpet-shaped, golden-yellow flowers have curly petals with undersides having a maroon-green tinge. The 5-6 feet tall plant produces 12-20 flowers that require support with stakes during flowering.
56. Goldsmith
The upright plant profusely flowers in summer and produces flared trumpet-shaped golden-yellow flowers. It is usually used as an ornamental plant in gardens or borders.
57. Ice Caves
The bowl-shaped, white-flowers have an icy green center that spreads through the tips with dark red anthers on lightly shaded petals. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
58. Madame Butterfly
This unique trumpet-shaped lily is prized with butterfly-looking ivory flowers, painted in golden orange patterns, green stamens and red anthers grab the attention of the viewer.
59. Midnight
It flowers from late spring to summer. This lily exhibits beautiful, trumpet-shaped, deep burgundy flowers with golden anthers with dark edges and undertones.
60. Moonlight
‘Moonlight’ is an adorable variety that resembles the radiance of the moon. The sweet-smelling, big yellow flowers, have flashing petal ends and defined midribs, with light green undersides.
61. Paula Marie
This variety starts as banana-shaped green buds that flower into 5-6 inches, bowl-shaped yellow-green blossoms, with a buttery center and curved petals. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
62. Pink Perfection
This lily variety produces fragrant, downward-facing, pink-plum flowers with golden anthers on slender stems, covered with alternate dark green leaves.
63. Summer Palace
The dazzling ‘Summer Palace’ features trumpet-shaped creamy pink flowers, from midsummer until the start of fall.
64. Starry Night
The trumpet-shaped flowers of ‘Starry Night’ resembles ‘Madame Butterfly.’ The only difference being its narrow petals. It flowers from late August to September, The cluster of flowers are widely spaced and create an airy appeal with the summer breeze.
65. White Henryi
This pretty lily forms classic white trumpets with flaring petals. The golden spots from the center on both sides make the flower more beautiful. The plant can grow up to 6-7 feet high.
Oriental Hybrids
Oriental hybrids are praised for their unmatched beauty. The beautiful flowers look-like a bowl and flower in summer. The blooms are extremely fragrant and appear on 2-8 feet tall stems. This hybrid was developed from East Asian lilies.
66. Baferrari
The refreshing ‘Beferrari’ flowers are crystalline white, with soft to bright yellow highlights and golden dots. The midribs on petals, green stamens with maroon anthers look appealing with dark-colored leaves.
67. Black Beauty
As the name suggests, ‘Black Beauty’ is not black at all! The curled, cup-shaped, crimson flowers with green highlight look amazingly attractive. The red petals are mottled with raised papillae and matching anthers. It can reach up to 9 feet high with each stem bearing up to 150 flowers.
68. Casa Blanca
The plain-looking, transparent, waxy white flowers of ‘Casa Blanca’ can grab anyone’s’ attention with their sheer simplicity. The sturdy stem forms large fragrant flowers on 3-4 feet tall plants.
Fact: ‘Casa Blanca’ has won the Garden Merit Award from the Royal Horticultural Society.
69. Dizzy
The unusual ruffled white flowers, with brown-crimson stripes and spots with outward curling petals, can be eye-candy in your garden. It flowers abundantly in summer. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
70. Garden Party
‘Garden Party’ is characterized by mesmerizing beauty with delicate white flowers. It has a golden throat that stretches towards the petal tip in the red shade with matching spots dispersed across the petals. This plant is ideal for balcony or patio as it only grows up to 2-3 feet high.
71. Josephine
This feminine lily looks delightful with its flat pink speckled flowers, having golden midrib, and a bright yellow center. The beautiful flowers also release a refreshing fragrance.
72. Le Reve
Le Reve looks magnificent with its ornamental and pink flowers, underlined with yellow highlights and golden dots. It produces plenty of flowers from mid to late summer.
73. Mona Lisa
The flower looks appealing with its ruffled, upward-facing, soft pink flowers with white edges, red midribs, and matching spots. The plant can grow up to 2-3 feet tall, which makes it perfect for containers or ground.
74. Mount Cook
Do not confuse it with the buttercup species! This oriental lily shows off curled bright pink flowers with matching color dots, light pink edges, lime-green highlights, and underside. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
75. Stargazer
Also known as Alstroemeria, this variety is a cross between L.auratum and L. speciosum. It is considered as one of the most popular lilies due to the ornamental and fragrant flowers. The plant produces pink flowers with red-white undertones and spots all over the petal.
Interdivisional / Other Hybrids
Interdivisional/other hybrids include lilies, with parent plants that are listed in additional divisions. These hybrids have been originated by different methodologies like ’embryo rescue’ and ‘cut-style pollinators.’ By developing new hybrids through a crossing species, these lilies offer disease-resistant, robust, and stunning flowers.
76. Child in Time
This variety is a cross between Asiatic x Oriental x Asiatic (AOA). It displays thick, soft pink flowers, with deep shaded center and spots. The flower becomes lighter in color with maturity.
77. Dancing Lady
Developed in the Netherlands by Mak Breeding, it is a cross between Longiflorum x Oriental x Oriental lily. It forms side-facing, fragrant, bowl-shaped light pink flowers on slender stems from July to August.
78. Flashpoint
Flashpoint features dark red-plum flowers, adorned with creamy-white edges and rich bronze anthers. It was also developed by Mr. Mak Breeding in the Netherlands.
79. Fiery Belles
The large, bell-shaped flowers look just like the name of this lily. Its beautiful flowers have a flaming orange hue with maroon anthers and undertones. It is one of the best Types of Lilies you can grow!
80. Fields of Gold
‘Field of Gold’ is another AOA hybrid. It grows up to 2-3 feet high with robust glossy foliage on slender stems. They’re adorned with large soft yellow flowers with maroon edges and spots.
81. Fusion
‘Fusion’ is a cross between L. longiflorum of Japan and L. pardalinum of northern California. The strong stems bear exquisite, pendant-like scarlet-red flowers with a yellow center and black spots on the petals.
82. Gluhwein
This lily is the result of the fusion between oriental hybrid and trumpet lily. Its flowers are pale pink that deepens to apricot towards the center, with yellow edges. The dark green foliage creates a beautiful contrast to these eye-catching flowers.
83. Kaveri
It is a cross between Oriental and Asiatic lilies. The flowers have warm tones in red, yellow, orange hues, blending from the dark center to lightly-shaded tips.
84. Nightrider
Just like the name, ‘Nightrider’ forms the darkest red, almost black flowers. It is a combination of Asiatic and Trumpet lilies. The satiny flowers are marvelous that can be the center of attraction to any garden or flower arrangements.
85. Pink Brilliant
This is the cross between oriental and trumpet lilies. The plants display large fragrant flowers in a combination of pink and white, with a green center. It can grow up to 4-5 feet high and is perfect for hedges or borders.
