Lilium pumilum (Coral Lily)

Lilium pumilum (Coral Lily) is a very charming miniature Turk’s Cap Lily featuring clusters of bright glossy scarlet nodding flowers, 2 in. wide (5 cm), with sharply recurved tepals exposing occasional black spots at their base. Sweetly fragrant, the delicate flowers are abundant, with up to 20 or 30 flowers per stem. A strong naturalizer, it forms colorful colonies over time. Ideal for the rock garden!

Lilium pumilum (Coral Lily) is a very charming miniature Turk's Cap Lily featuring clusters of bright glossy scarlet nodding flowers, 2 in. wide (5 cm), with sharply recurved tepals exposing occasional black spots at their base. Sweetly fragrant, the delicate flowers are abundant, with up to 20 or 30 flowers per stem. A strong naturalizer, it forms colorful colonies over time. Ideal for the rock garden!

  • Blooming in early-mid summer, this Lily constitutes an excellent border plant, providing striking color and contrast to the perennial border and mixes 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.
  • Growing up to 12-24 in. tall (30-60 cm) on slender stems clad with very narrow leaves, it performs best in full sun or part shade and enjoys fairly fertile, acidic, well-drained soils. Good moisture is required and dry soils should be avoided!
  • Reliable, easy to grow, beloved by bees and butterflies
  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society (1993).
  • No serious pest or disease issues.
  • Plant in spring or fall. Plant in groups of 3 bulbs at a minimum for a striking display! When flowering is over, cut back leaves and stems after they turn yellow.
  • Toxic to cats (though not for dogs or any known species)
  • Coral Lily is a member of the Species and cultivars of species Division (IX) which includes all species and their subspecies, varieties, and forms, and cultivars selected therefrom (excluding those derived from formosanum, longiflorum, philippinense, and wallichianum). There are 9 different types of lilies classified by the Royal Horticultural Society. And they are all real eye-catchers!
  • Native to Northern China, North Korea, Mongolia, and Siberia.

Requirements

Hardiness 3
– 7

Heat Zones 1
– 8

Climate Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Bulbs, Perennials
Plant Family Lilium – Lilies
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early,Mid)
Height 1'
– 2'
(30cm
– 60cm)
Spread 7"
– 1'
(17cm
– 30cm)
Spacing 7″ (17cm)
Depth 7"
(17cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Patio and Containers
Garden Styles Cutting Garden, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage