The Tiger Lily (Lilium lancifolium) is a striking perennial with downward-facing flowers. These blooms are typically brilliant orange and heavily speckled with dark spots, creating a pattern reminiscent of a tiger’s coat. Originating in Asia, this true lily has become a popular garden feature globally, prized for its robust nature and mid-to-late summer bloom time. Acquiring this plant involves navigating various retail channels and understanding the optimal timing for purchase.
Primary Retail Sources
Local nurseries and specialized garden centers often provide the highest quality Tiger Lily stock. The staff at these locations usually possess localized knowledge regarding the best cultivars for a specific climate and can offer tailored advice for planting and care. Purchasing directly from a local business allows a buyer to visually inspect the plant material for signs of disease or damage before buying.
National chain stores and big-box retailers offer Tiger Lily bulbs, typically selling them pre-packaged in mesh bags or boxes. These sources generally focus on common varieties and offer lower price points, making them a good entry point for new gardeners. Buyers should check the packaging for firmness and look for bulbs free from mold or soft spots.
For those seeking rarer cultivars or larger quantities, online and mail-order specialists are available. These vendors often deal exclusively in bulbs and tubers, maintaining a wider selection of Lilium lancifolium varieties than physical stores. When using online suppliers, research vendor reviews to ensure the reliability of the stock, as the bulbs are shipped sight unseen.
Acquisition Methods and Timing
The method and timing of purchasing Tiger Lilies depend on the form in which the plant material is sold. The most common acquisition method is purchasing dormant bulbs, which are best planted either in the fall or in the very early spring. Fall planting allows the bulb to establish a robust root system before the ground freezes, giving it a head start for spring growth.
If purchasing in the spring, the bulbs should be planted as soon as the soil is workable, typically several weeks before the last expected frost. Specialized bulb suppliers generally ship these dormant bulbs during the appropriate planting windows. Buying the bulb form is often more economical, especially for planting in larger drifts or naturalized areas.
Potted or established Tiger Lily plants are available later in the season, typically from late spring through summer. These purchases are usually made at local nurseries when the plants are actively growing and may even be in bloom. Buying a plant in flower allows a gardener to confirm the exact color and characteristics of the bloom before committing to the purchase.
Important Considerations Before Buying
Before introducing a Tiger Lily to a garden or home, understand its toxicity. Lilium lancifolium is highly toxic to cats; ingestion of any part of the plant, including the leaves, flowers, pollen, or even water from the vase, can cause acute kidney failure that is often fatal. While generally safe for humans to handle, this species should never be kept in homes where cats reside or in gardens accessible to outdoor feline pets.
The plant has a reputation for aggressive growth and spread. The Tiger Lily reproduces effectively through small, dark bulbils that form in the leaf axils along the stem. These bulbils drop to the ground and easily root, allowing the plant to spread rapidly and potentially become weedy. Gardeners should be prepared to manage this spread through regular deadheading and containment efforts.
The Lily Mosaic Virus is a concern, which Tiger Lilies frequently carry without displaying symptoms themselves. Though the virus causes little harm to the Lilium lancifolium plant, it can be spread by sap-feeding insects like aphids to other, more susceptible lily varieties, such as Asiatic and Oriental hybrids. Since there is no cure, the infected plants must be removed and destroyed to prevent further transmission.