Lilium 'Pearl White' (Ib/b)
lily 'Pearl White'
A bulbous perennial producing a strong, upright stem clothed in shiny, dark green, lance-shaped leaves and topped in early summer with a cluster of large, outward-facing, creamy-white, bowl-shaped flowers with gently recurved petals and tan anthers
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green | ||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Native to the UK
- 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
- Horticultural Group
- Division Ib lilies are Asiatic Hybrids, with alternate leaves and outward-facing, open-funnel-shaped flowers in mid summer
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in well-drained soil enriched with leaf mould or well-rotted organic matter, see lily cultivation. Ideal in patio pots, see growing lilies in containers
Propagation
Propagate by separating offsets after the foliage dies down
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; tidy by deadheading spent flowers
Pests
May be susceptible to lily beetle, aphids and slugs; plants in pots may be susceptible to vine weevil
Diseases
May be susceptible to various lily diseases, grey moulds and a virus
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.