Tiger lilies (Lilium lancifolium) add vibrant, exotic flair to any garden with their distinctive orange petals and dark spots. These resilient plants are easy to cultivate and thrive in various conditions, making them a favored choice for many gardeners. Companion planting around tiger lilies enhances their display and contributes to a healthier garden ecosystem by strategically placing different plant species together for mutual benefits.
Benefits of Companion Planting
Companion planting offers many advantages. Thoughtful plant pairings enhance a garden’s visual appeal by introducing complementary colors, textures, and forms that highlight the unique beauty of tiger lilies, creating a more dynamic and layered planting scheme, contributing to a cohesive garden design. Strategic plant choices also deter common garden pests; some companions release compounds or scents that naturally repel undesirable insects, reducing the need for chemical interventions. Other pairings attract beneficial insects, including pollinators and predatory insects that prey on harmful pests. Companion planting can also improve soil health by adding organic matter or fixing nitrogen, and denser plantings suppress weed growth, conserving moisture and nutrients.
Choosing Companion Plants
Choosing appropriate companion plants for tiger lilies requires considering several environmental and growth factors to ensure all plants thrive. Matching light requirements is paramount; tiger lilies prefer full sun to partial shade, so companions should share similar preferences. Soil conditions are also important, as tiger lilies flourish in well-draining, moderately fertile soil. Compatible water needs are essential to prevent over or under-watering.
Assess the mature height and growth habit of potential companions to ensure they do not overcrowd or excessively shade the tiger lilies, which could impede growth and bloom production. Harmonizing bloom times and colors also creates a continuous display of interest throughout the growing season, enhancing the garden aesthetic.
Recommended Companion Plants
Visual Contrast
For striking visual contrast, consider pairing tiger lilies with plants that offer complementary colors or textures. Blue-flowering plants like delphiniums or salvias provide a cool counterpoint to the warm orange of tiger lilies, creating a vibrant visual dynamic. Delphiniums’ upright spires complement the lily’s form, while salvias offer a softer, mounding habit. White-flowered plants such as Shasta daisies or white phlox also create a crisp, clean contrast, making the tiger lily’s colors pop.
Foliage Interest
Plants with foliage interest provide a continuous backdrop even when tiger lilies are not in bloom. Hostas, with their broad leaves and varying shades, offer lush groundcover contrasting nicely with the lily’s upright stems. Ferns, like the Japanese painted fern, contribute delicate, feathery textures and thrive in partial shade. Ornamental grasses, such as ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass, provide vertical interest and movement, softening the landscape around lily stalks.
Pest Deterrence
For pest deterrence, alliums are an excellent choice; their strong sulfurous compounds deter common garden pests like aphids and slugs. Their spherical flower heads also add a unique architectural element. Marigolds, particularly French marigolds, release root compounds that repel nematodes and other soil-borne pests, while their bright blooms add cheerful color. Nepeta, or catmint, deters flea beetles and attracts beneficial predatory insects.
Groundcovers and Extended Bloom
Groundcovers like creeping phlox or sedum offer a living mulch, suppressing weeds and conserving soil moisture around tiger lilies. These low-growing plants prevent soil erosion and keep the root zone cooler. Perennials such as coneflowers (Echinacea) or black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) offer a prolonged bloom period, extending the garden’s interest and attracting pollinators.
Planting and Ongoing Care
Proper spacing is a primary consideration when planting companion plants around tiger lilies to ensure adequate air circulation and light. Leaving sufficient room helps prevent fungal diseases and allows each plant to reach its full potential. Maintain a distance of at least 6-12 inches between the tiger lily and its companion, adjusting based on mature size.
Before planting, enrich the soil with organic matter like compost to improve structure and nutrient content. After planting, a thorough initial watering helps settle roots and reduces transplant shock. Ongoing care involves regular moisture monitoring; while tiger lilies tolerate some dryness, consistent moisture promotes healthier growth and more abundant blooms. Occasional fertilization with a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring provides sustained nutrients. Deadheading spent flowers encourages further blooming and maintains a tidy appearance.
Plants to Avoid
Avoid certain plants as companions for tiger lilies due to their growth habits or specific requirements. Highly invasive species, such as aggressive mint varieties or morning glory, can quickly outcompete tiger lilies for resources, light, and space, potentially smothering them. Their rapid spread makes them difficult to control. Plants with vastly different growing requirements, such as those needing extremely dry or very wet soil, are also unsuitable. Succulents that prefer arid conditions would struggle alongside moisture-loving lilies, and bog plants would suffer in well-drained lily beds. Some plants also host diseases or pests that could easily spread to tiger lilies, compromising their health. For example, certain viral diseases common to other lily varieties or some hostas pose a risk.