Many gardeners plant lilies for their large, fragrant, and colorful blooms, hoping to see them return each summer. The definitive answer to whether lilies grow back every year is yes, provided you are growing a true lily and follow specific care guidelines. Plants in the genus Lilium are classified as hardy herbaceous perennials, meaning they are built to survive the winter and reemerge from the same root structure season after season. This cycle of growth, bloom, and dormancy allows these flowers to become a regular fixture in the garden landscape.
Understanding Lily Perenniality
The ability of a true lily to return annually depends entirely on its underground structure: the bulb. Unlike an annual plant that completes its life cycle in a single season, the lily bulb functions as a specialized, scaly storage organ. This bulb accumulates energy reserves, primarily carbohydrates, during the active growing season.
These reserves are stored throughout the summer and fall to fuel the plant’s next cycle. When cold weather arrives, the lily enters a state of dormancy, a resting period where metabolic activity slows significantly. The bulb remains alive underground during the winter months, typically hardy across USDA Zones 4 through 9. In the spring, warming soil signals the end of dormancy, and the bulb uses the stored energy to push a new shoot and stem upward.
Distinguishing True Lilies from Lookalikes
A common source of confusion for gardeners is the use of the word “lily” in the names of many different plants that do not belong to the Lilium genus. True lilies are distinct because they grow from a unique, scaly, non-tunicated bulb. They feature a single, stiff, upright stem with leaves arranged along its entire length, and their six-petaled flowers typically last for a week or more.
The most frequently confused plant is the Daylily (Hemerocallis), which is also a perennial but has a completely different structure. Daylilies grow from thick, tuberous roots rather than a bulb, and their long, grass-like foliage emerges in a clump directly from the soil crown. Individual Daylily flowers last for only a single day before fading. Plants like Canna Lilies grow from rhizomes and often require digging up and storing indoors in colder climates, unlike the hardy Lilium bulb.
Essential Post-Bloom Care for Guaranteed Return
Ensuring a lily returns year after year relies on protecting the energy transfer process that happens immediately after the bloom fades. The first action is to remove the spent flowers, known as deadheading, which prevents the plant from expending energy on developing seeds. If a lily is allowed to produce a seed pod, that energy is diverted away from the bulb, resulting in a weaker return the following season.
It is necessary to leave the green foliage and the stem intact after deadheading. The leaves are the plant’s food factory, and through photosynthesis, they convert sunlight into the carbohydrates that are stored in the bulb. Cutting the stem back prematurely deprives the bulb of the energy it needs to survive dormancy and produce next year’s growth. The foliage should only be cut back to the ground once it has completely turned brown and withered naturally, typically in the late fall.
Throughout the late summer and fall, maintaining the right soil conditions is important for the bulb’s health. Lilies prefer soil that is consistently moist but never waterlogged, as excessive moisture can lead to bulb rot, especially during the dormant season. A light application of a low-nitrogen fertilizer after the blooming period can further assist the bulb in building up its nutrient stores.
Gardeners in the colder range of the plant’s hardiness (Zones 4-5) should apply a layer of mulch, about four to six inches deep, over the planting area before the ground freezes. This insulating layer helps to regulate soil temperature and provides protection for the dormant bulb.