Lily White flowers have been one of the most popular flowers among many gardeners, cultivators, and florists throughout the world because of their color and symbolism.
White lily flower symbolism includes innocence, calmness, respect, sympathy, true love, and purity. It became a traditional flower used in weddings as bridal bouquets and even during memorial services.
We are going to discuss the different types of white flowers belonging to each of these classifications. Let’s start and discover them individually, followed by some suggestions on white lily flower care.
Contents
Types of White Lilies
If we are talking about Lily flowers, different kinds of flowers and blooms typically come to mind. Most are true lilies while others just have the word “lily” in their names but do not really belong to the same genus. Each of them has different features and characteristics.
1. Madonna Lily
Lilium candidum or Madonna lily has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years, thus earning great symbolic value in many cultures. Madonna lily is native to the Middle East and the Balkans and is naturalized in some parts of Europe.
Having an erect stem holding a trumpet-shaped flower in pure white color and bright yellow pollen, this lovely bloom stands out from the crowd.
It typically blooms with 20 flowers per stem from spring to mid-summer. It prefers rich well-draining soil, with full sun exposure to partial shade.
However, you should know that the Botrytis fungus is one of the causes of several diseases common to lilies, and it will be fatal if not action is taken. One tip to avoid it is to grow your Madonna lily from seed instead of bulblets.
2. Easter Lily
Lilium longiflorum is commonly known as Easter lily. It is indigenous in both the Ryukyu Islands in Japan and in Taiwan. Easter lilies root from their stems and can grow up to three feet in height, blooming with a number of outward-facing flowers. Its trumpet-shaped and aromatic flowers in pure white color typically bloom from July to August.
Formosa Lily
Plant your Easter lily during fall or early spring. It can easily grow in rich, organic, medium moisture, well-draining soil while provided with full sun exposure to part shade. It is a low-maintenance plant and is usually pest-free, but watch out for potential diseases, such as lily mosaic virus, Botrytis, and bulb rot.
3. Casa Blanca Lily
Casa Blanca is a hybrid Oriental lily, these Lily plant is known by its scientific name Lilium Casa Blanca. It has tall stems that grow up to three to four feet high, holding large dark green leaves topped with beautiful showy white flowers, which bloom in mid to late summer.
As each flower has six curved petals and reddish brown roots. These beautiful white blooms make perfect fresh-cut flowers for bridal bouquets.
It is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants popular for its large flowers that grow from lily bulbs. These lilies are a group of flowering plants comprising various classifications of garden forms that spring from species and interspecies hybrids.
For it to perform best, plant your Casa Blanca during spring or fall in organic and a well-draining soil with slightly acidic soil pH, meaning between 6.5 to 6.7. Note that it prefers full sun exposure to partial shade, ideally six to eight hours per day, along with proper watering in order to keep the soil moist. Another tip is to avoid letting the soil dry out.
4. Calla Lily
Calla Lily is one of those flowers that have “lily” in their name yet do not really create part of the true lily family. Calla Lilies’ genus name is Zantedeschia, and it belongs to the Araceae family native to southern Africa.
It has lovely white flowers, which also offer a wide range of colors, making it greatly valued among cultivars. This genus of lily is typically grown as an ornamental plant.
Growing these beautiful blooms is easy as they will not require too much of your attention. However, you must keenly make sure to plant them properly and in a preferred location, and that’s it, you’re good to go.
Remember to plant them during spring in loose, well-draining soil, and put them in a location with full sun exposure to partial shade. Once planted, they prefer to be watered well.
However, you should know that all parts of the lily plant are considered poisonous. Its flowers, fruits, and sap from the leaves and stem are all possible irritants. The sap from its stem and leaves may cause burning to the skin and, if swallowed, could give you blisters on your mouth and esophagus, so be very cautious about this matter.
5. Oriental Lily
Another one on our list that offers white lily flowers is Lilium Orientalis, the Stargazer Lily. It is one of the hybrids in the Oriental division, they are one of the most beautiful white lilies.
Oriental lilies are known for their fragrant smell, downward-facing beautiful flowers consisting of six petals, which oftentimes can be composed of several flower heads in a single stem. Note that the oriental lily blooms either in fall or spring.
Oriental Lilies are relatively easy to grow and have a fast growth rate. They can do well in well-draining loamy or sandy soil with full sun, so make sure your chosen location can provide plenty of sun exposure.
Once the bulb blooms, keep it moderately moist, and soon, expect to have blooms that are ideal for beds, borders, and cut flowers perfect for bouquets.
6. Regal Lily
Lilium regale, also called at times the Regal lily, Royal lily, King’s lily, or Christmas lily in New Zealand, is one of the members of the true lily family.
It is considered a long-lived, stem-rooting flower cultivated as an ornamental plant and appreciated for its aromatic fragrance. It actually received the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Regal lily appears to have huge trumpet-shaped, outward-facing white flowers with golden throats and pinkish purple streaks on the outer side. The flowers typically bloom in mid-summer. It grows up to four to six feet tall and has leafy stems.
You must note that these flowers loves any kind of soil, provided it is well-draining. The plants prefer plenty of sun exposure but can tolerate partial shade. The key is to provide good moisture and avoid letting the soil get dry.
7. Golden-rayed Lily
The Lilium auratum or the Mountain lily, also sometimes called Asiatic lilies, Golden-rayed lily, or the Goldband lily from the Lilium genus, is native to Japan.
The reason why it is very attractive is because of its features that include the typical white bloom of a lily with gold radial marking and orange spots producing strongly scented bowl-shaped vast flowers that bloom during mid-summer.
The Golden-rayed lily is the largest of any lily species as it can reach up to eight feet in height.
To care for this Asiatic lily, plant it during the spring or fall season in any kind of soil as it is not particular about soil type, but it should be well-draining, that is the requirement. Make sure to give your plants full sun exposure, but they can also tolerate light afternoon shade. These real eye-catchers make an excellent addition to perennial borders and as fresh-cut flowers.
8. Formosa Lily
Adored for its beauty, Lilium formosanum or Formosa Lily, also known as Taiwanese lily, is native to the country of Taiwan, thus its common name. Although it is closely related to the Easter lily of Ryukyu Japan, and is naturalized in different parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas.
However, the Formosa lily typically grows up to four to seven feet tall, and during late summer to fall, it blooms with sweet-smelling, six-petal, trumpet-shaped flowers that come in the color white and are gently brushed with a pinkish purple shade on the outside, just like the African queen lily.
To be able to achieve its best performance, plant your Formosa lily in average, medium moisture, slightly acidic, well-draining soil while giving it full sun exposure to partial shade. To be specific, the upper parts of the plant must be in full sun while the roots are in fully shaded.
9. Shirui Lily
Shirui Lily, also called Shirui Kashung Timrawon, has the scientific name Lilium mackliniae and is native to India. It is considered a rare and famous species of plant that can only be found in the highest part of the Shirui Hill in the district of Manipur in India.
It is rare due to its challenging aspect that it cannot be transplanted; it was and is never going to grow in any other place despite maximum care, and no one knows why. This gorgeous lily blooms in the months of May and June, and it would spread its light fragrance during the blooming.
It reaches up to one to three feet tall and produces one up to seven flowers per plant. It displays lovely shades of white, pale bluish-pink color in its bell-shaped, downward-facing flowers.
As of this moment, no professionals or researchers have come forward to preserve the flower, so most probably, we can only gaze at and appreciate its beauty through its pictures for now.
10. L.A. Hybrid Lily
A cross between Asiatic hybrids and Longiflorum lilies, the L.A. hybrid lily was introduced in 1992. Its noticeable features are a longer vase life and a trumpet-shaped flower. It typically blooms in mid-summer to late summer. The L.A. hybrid lily makes for an excellent fresh-cut flower and can grace beds and borders just like other lilies.
The L.A. Hybrid lily can grow up to five feet in height, and aside from its pristine white flowers, it also comes in a wide array of colors, such as red, yellow, orange, pink, and violet.
Note that these plants thrive best in fertile, humus-rich, well-draining soil while keeping the soil evenly moist, especially during dry spells.
These lilies being extremely popular around the world, it is impossible not to see them in places like garden beds and borders, vases, or bouquets. In addition, with their beauty and aromatic smell, it is impossible for lilies not to attract humans or animals to come near them to touch or sniff them.
11. Japanese Lily
Lilium speciosum, also called the Japanese Lily, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the lily family. It is native to southern Japan and southern China. This species has been widely used for breeding and cultivating many garden forms.
Japanese lily can grow up to three feet tall and one foot wide. Blooming from the month of August until September, it displays white and pink recurved flowers and usually produces a strong exquisite fragrance.
Note that these beautiful white lilies prefer to be planted in well-draining soil in addition to recieve six to eight hours of sun per day. The plants also prefer cool soil, which can be achieved by providing shade at their feet.
12. Martagon Lily
Martagon Lily or Turk’s cap lily has the scientific name Lilium martagon. It is a Eurasian species of lily and has become widespread in its native region, from Asia and Europe to Portugal and east through Mongolia.
It is a stem-rooting plant that grows from three feet to almost seven feet in height. The flowers can be seen in white, red, pink, yellow, and orange colors with dark spots. They begin to bloom in late June to early July.
Help your Martagon lily to flourish by planting it at the end of the autumn season or spring. The plants like moisture, but cannot tolerate standing water. Another tip is to look out for possible pests and diseases, such as root rot, leaf spot, aphids, and other viral diseases.
However, be aware that this lily is poisonous to humans but even fatal for animals, they exhibit the same symptoms along with drooling. Some types of lilies may cause death more in cats than in dogs. Dogs are more likely to have mild gastrointestinal distress, but lilies cause kidney damage to cats. So, seek immediate treatment if any of these symptoms occur.
Conclusion
Lily flowers have a lot to give, from their beautiful fragrant white flowers that are perfect indoors or outdoors and their being easy to grow as long as they are perfectly planted and well taken care of, especially when it comes to watering.
The different classifications of lily flower include Asiatic hybrids, American hybrids, Longiflorum hybrids, Martagon hybrids, Oriental hybrids, Candidum hybrids, and Trumpet lily. However, they all make excellent choices if you are seeking “white lilies” to add to your collection.
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