Lilium Starlight Express (Oriental Lily)
Compact, delightfully fragrant, and eye-catching with its slightly recurved, flamboyant fuchsia petals, Lilium ‘Starlight Express’ grabs the attention of onlookers. Just look at it! Its abundant and large, bowl-shaped flowers, up to 15 per stalk, are beautifully adorned with ruffled white edges that contrast nicely with the rich, dark green foliage.
Compact, delightfully fragrant, and eye-catching with its slightly recurved, flamboyant fuchsia petals, Lilium 'Starlight Express' grabs the attention of onlookers. Just look at it! Its abundant and large, bowl-shaped flowers, up to 15 per stalk, are beautifully adorned with ruffled white edges that contrast nicely with the rich, dark green foliage.
- Blooming for weeks in mid-late summer, this vigorous beauty constitutes an excellent border plant, providing striking color and contrast to the perennial border and mixing beautifully with annuals and other summer flowering bulbs.
- It is well suited to containers and the cutting garden as it makes excellent fresh-cut flowers. Plant in groups of 3, 6, or 12 bulbs for a striking display!
- Growing up to 14-16 in. tall (45-60 cm), this Lily performs best in full sun or part shade and is not fussy about soils, provided they are well-drained. Good moisture is required and dry soil should be avoided!
- Reliable, easy to grow, beloved by bees and butterflies
- Toxic to cats (though not for dogs or any known species)
- When flowering is over, cut back leaves and stems after they turn yellow. This plant may self-seed.
- Plant in fall or early spring in the garden. Potted plants may be planted at any time between spring and fall.
- This Lily is a member of the Oriental Hybrids Division (VII) which includes lilies with medium-sized to very large flowers, usually bowl-shaped, flat, or with recurved tepals. The inner tepals are often very broad, margins often ruffled or twisted and usually overlapping at the base, so the flower has a more ‘closed’ center. The Lily flowers are mostly white to pink to purplish red, some golden yellow and are usually fragrant. Leaves are scattered, usually broad to very broad. Often late flowering. There are 9 different types of lilies classified by the Royal Horticultural Society. And they are all real eye-catchers!
Requirements
Hardiness | 3 – 8 |
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Heat Zones | 1 – 8 |
Climate Zones | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 |
Plant Type | Bulbs, Perennials |
Plant Family | Lilium – Lilies |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest | Summer (Mid,Late) |
Height | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
Spread | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
Spacing | 10″ (25cm) |
Depth | 8" (20cm) |
Water Needs | Average |
Maintenance | Low |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy |
Tolerance | Deer, Rabbit |
Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
Garden Uses | Beds and Borders, Patio and Containers |
Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Cutting Garden, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden |