Do Oriental Lilies Like Full Sun?

Lily Divisions

• Native species of lilies require specific conditions to thrive and most garden lilies are hybrids of these native species that have been crossbred to improve their hardiness, form and flowers. The North American Lily Society divides hybrids into general groups, or divisions, not all of which are derived from exactly the same species but which share general characteristics. Division 7 contains lilies derived from species that originated in China and Japan: Lilium auratum, L. speciosum, L. nobilissimum, L. rubellum, L. alexandrae and L. japonicum. They are called Oriental hybrids.

Oriental Hybrids

• Oriental hybrids may have varying parentage but most are very fragrant and bloom in large, trumpet-shaped or flat-faced flowers. Oriental hybrid colors may be red, pink, scarlet or white, many bearing dark freckles along the inside of the tepals, and begin their bloom in midsummer. Perhaps because the plants demand so much of themselves during the hottest part of summer, they tolerate partial shade well. However, even lilies planted in dappled shade need summer mulch or shorter plants around them to shade their shallow roots.

Zones

• Oriental hybrids are hardy from USDA zones 4 through 9, an area that contains a wide range of winter and summer temperatures. Zone 4 winter low temperatures average from 20 to 30 below zero Fahrenheit. Summers are mild, featuring occasional stretches of hot weather in the 80s and 90s during the hottest part of summer with cooler nighttime temperatures. Zone 9 lies along the southern border of the United States through central California. It includes the hot, arid Southwest where summer temperatures rise above 100 degrees for long periods and hot, humid Southeast areas where humidity holds nighttime temperatures close to daytime highs for extended periods of time. Winter average lows drop below freezing but not below zero -- just low enough to properly chill lily bulbs.

Considerations

• Garden lilies need six to eight hours of sun, according to the North American Lily Society, but the type of sunlight lilies receive is important. Oriental hybrids may thrive in full sun all day in zones 3 and 4 in Minnesota, but flowers may fade and plants droop in the wilting heat and humidity of East Texas. Shade from hot afternoon sun or a sheltered eastern exposure where plants get morning sun benefits Oriental hybrids beginning in zone 6. "Orienpet" hybrids combine the scent and shape of Oriental hybrids with the hardiness and added range of color of division 6 trumpet lilies to form a new group. Orienpets, also called OT hybrids, are generally more heat and late frost tolerant than original Oriental hybrids.