There is the Liliales order, the Liliaceae family, and the Lilium genus. The Liliaceae family consists of about 15 genera, including the Lilium genus, which contains what we commonly call lily flowers. There are other genera that contain flowers with a common name including “lily”. However, only Lilium has what we consider to be true lilies. There are about 100 species of plants in the Lilium genus.

Lilies grow from bulbs and grow to a height of 2-4 ft. Leaves are arranged alternately, mostly whorled, and narrow. The flowers are typically large, showy, and fragrant. The flowers come in warm colors like yellows, oranges, and reds, and in white. The flowers have 6 stamens with anthers. There are 6 tepals (the outermost flower whorl with no differentiation between the sepals and petals = tepals), and the fruit is a capsule with 3 sections.

Wild growing lilies are native to parts of Europe, Asia, and North America all in temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. However, they are grown and sold everywhere in the world as a beautiful ornamental flower. The flower symbolizes love, happiness, innocence, and warmth. The lily is the most common flower found at funerals. White lilies in particular hold spiritual meaning of purity and can be found in religious occasions, most notably, Easter.

The majority of lily species bloom from June through August. They tend to grow in small groups and they are one of the earliest cultivated ornamental plant. Lilies are a popular flower for bouquets and vases due to their ability to last a long time after being cut.

If you enjoyed this post about lilies, check out some other plant profiles about violets or irises.