5 Red-flowered lilies for a vibrant garden

Martagon lily 'Arabian Night'

The Lilium martagon ‘Arabian Night’ produces a spectacular, fragrant flowering in crimson and gold. It flowers in June and July, offering flowers measuring 5 cm, borne on abundant flowering stems. Each bulb can bear a flowering stem of up to 50 flowers, pointing downwards with reflexed, thick and glossy petals. The foliage is dark green, lanceolate and deciduous. It grows to a height of 80 cm and a width of 45 cm, and can be grown in the garden or in a pot on a balcony.

Hardy to -20°C, it takes a little longer to establish than other lilies, but once in place, it thrives. Plant it in a stony, well-drained soil, slightly humus-bearing, cool and rich. Choose a site from partial shade to sunny. Some precautions should be taken with martagon lilies, notably not to move it, and not to provide peat-based compost. After flowering, deadhead the spent blooms back to half height to keep the plant looking its best. Pair this lily with other lilies or white, purple or yellow flowers. You can also pair it with sages and with nepetas.

Trumpet Lily - Lilium 'Scheherazade'

The Trumpet Lily – Lilium ‘Scheherazade’ bears large 15 cm trumpet-shaped flowers, wine-red in colour with a white and cream centre, speckled with pink, green and brown markings. This hybrid lily flowers in July and August, adding an exotic and very fragrant touch, with an intense and heady fragrance. Its sturdy stems are clad with dark green, lanceolate, glossy leaves. The foliage is deciduous. This lily reaches a height of 1.5 metres with a spread of 30 cm. It makes a striking impact in borders and large rock gardens, as well as in cut flower arrangements in a vase.

Robust, this hybrid lily is easy to grow and hardy down to -23°C. Plant it in full sun with the base in shade, in rich, well-drained, non-calcareous soil. This lily fits into a large flower border beside other white lilies such as the Trumpet Lily – Lilium ‘Muscadet’ or with other exotically-styled plants such as palms.

Double Asiatic Lily - Lilium 'Red Twin'

The double Asiatic lily – Lilium ‘Red Twin’ boasts a vibrant coral-red flowering from June to August. Its sturdy stems bear up to 12 large flowers each, double and measuring 18 cm. Their texture is fleshy and waxy. At the centre of each flower sits a small coral-red corolla veined with white, which is surrounded by a corolla of six larger petals. Unusually, the stamens bear no pollen. The foliage is alternate, medium-green and narrow. It is also deciduous. The lily reaches a height of 90 cm and a width of 30 cm. Easy to grow and hardy to -20°C, this lily should be planted in full sun in light, well-drained, slightly calcareous soil, rich in humus. Feed with liquid fertiliser every 15 days before the appearance of the flower buds. In a border or bed, pair it with other plants that will keep its crown in shade and cool. Pair it, for example, with daylilies and Coreopsis in yellow or white to create attractive contrasts.

The lily 'Miss Feya' (Oriental/Trumpet)

Lilium ‘Miss Feya’ (Oriental/Trumpet) is a spectacular variety that can grow up to 2 metres tall with a 50 cm spread. Its towering, very sturdy stem bears from July to August up to 40 very large, outward-facing flowers in purplish-red with brown-purple speckles at the centre and finely edged in white. The flowers measure 20 cm and exhale a discreet, sweet fragrance. The centre reveals long olive-green stamens with brick-coloured anthers, which add to its distinctiveness. The leaves are 19 cm long and 6 cm wide, and they are deciduous. The sturdy stems do not require staking.

This lily should be planted in soil that is not too calcareous and well-drained, rich in humus and cool. It is hardy to -18°C and enjoys sun or partial shade. It is advisable to feed it with liquid fertiliser before flowering to help promote flowering, and to divide the bulblets that appear on the bulb at least every 3 or 4 years to preserve the beauty of the clump. You can pair it with white lilies and ornamental grasses for an effect that is both flowering, refined and natural.

The lily 'New Red Asiatic Seedling'

The ‘New Red Asiatic Seedling‘ lily is a compact lily reaching 45 cm in height at maturity, bearing a profusion of vivid carmine-red, glossy flowers. Flowering extends from June to July. Each stem bears about eight satin-finish 8 cm flowers, with a darker throat and speckled with small brown spots. The stems bear dark green, alternate leaves spiralled. It is slender, glossy and deciduous. The flowers stay in bloom for around four weeks. Its compact size makes it well suited to pot culture and border plantings.

Hardy to -20°C, it thrives in full sun or partial shade in cool, rich, well-drained soil. In a pot, pair it with Nemesia or blue Lobelias. In a border, it harmonises with campanulas, Agapanthus. If you plant groundcover at its base, such as candytuft or creeping phlox, this will help keep the crown cool and shaded.

To learn more about lilies, read our comprehensive guide to lily cultivation, planting and care, as well as our full range of lilies.