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BulbsHerbaceous Perennial

Lilium 'Bonsoir' (VIIIa-b/b)

A bulbous perennial, to around 90cm high, with upright stems and lance-shaped, glossy dark green leaves. Large, outward-facing, bowl-shaped lightly fragrant orange flowers, with darker orange streaks along the midveins, are produced in summer, with up to 6 flowers per plant

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Liliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Ornamental bulbs - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. TOXIC to pets if eaten (cats) - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Lilium are bulbous perennials with erect stems bearing whorled or spirally arranged leaves and terminal racemes or umbels of bowl-shaped, trumpet-shaped, funnel-shaped or turks cap shaped flowers, often fragrant, and white, yellow, orange or red
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Plant bulbs in the autumn. Grow in well-drained soil enriched with leaf mould or well-rotted organic matter. Ideally, grow in full sun with the base of the plant in shade. Suitable for containers, see growing lilies for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by division or scaling, see bulb propagation for details

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading will improve their appearance

Pests

May be susceptible to lily beetle, aphids, slugs, thrips, leatherjackets and wireworms, as well as small mammals such as rabbits and voles

Diseases

May be susceptible to lily disease, other fungal diseases, and virus diseases; for more advice, see lily diseases

Get involved

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