The Different Colors of Flower Lilies

Gardeners can choose from a diverse selection of lilies, depending on growing conditions, plant size, bloom time and flower color. With hundreds of lily cultivars, and new varieties introduced annually, the color choice of the lily flowers is vast. Within the types of more commonly grown lilies, specific hues are usually prevalent and readily available to the gardener.

Asiatic Hybrids

• Upward facing flowers in bright shades and combinations of gold, yellow, plum, orange, rose, pink and white, Asiatic hybrid lilies are frequently grown in home gardens and landscapes because of their versatility, easy care and vivid flower colors. Blooming begins in late May or early June and blossoms are good as cut flowers in arrangements.

Oriental Hybrids

• Also referred to as stargazer lilies, Oriental lily flowers are exotic looking and quite fragrant. Oriental lilies bloom late in the growing season in shades of white, pink, salmon, magenta, or crimson and many have bi-colored petal combinations of these colors. The colors are usually not as vivid and bright as Asiatic lily colors, but softer and more pastel with a possible accent of a deeper hue on the petals.

Trumpet Hybrids

• Derived from the Asiatic lily, trumpet hybrid lilies have a delightful fragrance and, of course, a distinctive flower shape like a trumpet. Because of the plant’s relationship to the Asiatic, its flower colors also are quite bright and vivid in shades of gold, yellow, chartreuse, purple, pink, plum, white and apricot. A majority of trumpet lily flowers have combinations of these colors on the petals, with a complimentary color on the underside. A mid- to late-season bloomer, the large trumpet lily blossoms are a spectacular display of color in your garden.

Longiflorum Hybrids

• A true longiflorum lily, known as an Easter lily, is pure white in color. New hybrid longiflorum varieties have been developed by crossing, longiflorum with Asiatic or Oriental, to produce light pastel shades of yellow, coral, apricot or pink flowers. Longiflorum hybrid lilies are generally used as cut flowers and, particularly as potted plant lilies.