SKU: 00840369420664 5 'Lady Alice' lily (Lilium 'Lady Alice') Bulbs

Key Features

• Growth Habit: Tall, upright, bulb-forming perennial with sturdy stems and gracefully arching, lance-shaped foliage.
• Bloom Color: Creamy white recurved petals with apricot-orange centers and dark chocolate-brown speckles.
• Fragrance: Light, sweet fragrance.
• Fruit Flavor: None; may produce ornamental seed capsules if flowers are left on the plant.
• Culinary Uses: None; not edible.
• Medicinal Uses: No recognized medicinal uses.
• Possible Toxicity: Highly toxic to cats. All parts of the plant—including flowers, pollen, leaves, stems, and bulbs—can cause acute kidney failure if ingested. Ingestion may also cause mild gastrointestinal upset in dogs and humans.
• Wildlife & Pest Resistance: Attracts butterflies, bees, and other beneficial pollinators. Moderately resistant to deer and rabbits, although new shoots and flower buds may occasionally be browsed. Monitor for aphids, slugs, snails, and lily leaf beetles.
• Planting Zone: Hardy in USDA Zones 4–8.
• Sun Preferences: Full sun to partial shade; thrives with at least 6 hours of sunlight daily while appreciating cool, shaded roots.
• Drought Tolerance: Moderate; prefers consistently moist, well-drained soil but tolerates brief dry spells once established.
• Mature Size: Typically grows 4–6 feet tall with a spread of 18–24 inches, making it an excellent choice for the back of borders.

When and How to Prune

• Remove spent flowers after blooming to prevent seed production and direct energy back into the bulb.
• Leave all healthy foliage in place until it naturally yellows and dies back, allowing the bulb to replenish energy for the following year.
• Cut stems back to ground level in late fall after the foliage has completely withered.
• Remove damaged or diseased foliage during the growing season to promote healthy growth.

Planting Instructions (Bulbs into the Ground)

1. Plant bulbs in fall or early spring while the soil is cool and workable.
2. Select a site with fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.
3. Dig a hole 6–8 inches deep, measuring from the top of the bulb to the soil surface.
4. Place each bulb with the pointed end facing upward.
5. Space bulbs 12–18 inches apart to accommodate their mature size and provide good air circulation.
6. Backfill with soil, gently firm around the bulbs, and water thoroughly after planting.
7. Apply a 2–3 inch layer of mulch to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the root zone cool.
8. Water regularly during active growth, maintaining evenly moist but well-drained soil.

Overwintering Steps

• 'Lady Alice' Lily is winter hardy in USDA Zones 4–8 and overwinters well in the ground.
• Allow foliage to die back naturally after the first hard frost before removing it.
• Cut stems to ground level once the foliage has completely yellowed.
• Apply a 2–4 inch layer of mulch after the ground freezes to insulate the bulbs from repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
• Remove excess mulch gradually in early spring as new shoots emerge.
• Ensure the planting site drains well during winter to prevent bulb rot.
• Divide established clumps every 4–5 years in fall if flowering declines or bulbs become crowded.

Elegant, statuesque, and remarkably easy to grow, 'Lady Alice' Lily brings timeless beauty and graceful movement to the summer garden. Its tall stems, nodding bicolor blooms, and dependable perennial habit make it an outstanding focal point for mixed borders, woodland gardens, and cut flower arrangements, rewarding gardeners with spectacular blooms for many years.