Do Lilies Spread? (Multiplying Asiatic, Trumpet, & Oriental Lily)
Wouldn’t it be amazing if your favorite flowers multiplied over and over all on their own?! Sometimes the best ones do! If you’re wondering, do lilies spread? – you are in luck! Asiatic lilies, trumpet lilies, and oriental lilies reproduce beautifully, even without your assistance.
Cultivating a lily garden can lead to a lifelong journey to reach your dream garden.
I once met a sweet lady who was my husband’s friend’s mom. She showed me her vast lily gardens and explained how, with a little planning, you can create a lily garden that blooms continually over the season. When one lily finishes blooming, the next type begins.
My mind was blown!
That day, my perspective stretched far beyond my own potential. My vision gardening changed for the better, forever.
Isn’t it amazing when gardening inspiration spreads and touches different lives?
Anyway, I am so excited to assure you that lilies DO spread and you can grow a massive lily garden if you like. Or cultivate your favorites and share them with those you know and love.
Either way, spread that beauty!
Here’s the scoop…
Do lilies spread?
Yes, lilies spread all on their own when planted in a suitable location, such as directly in the ground. Bulb size increases year over year. Also, bulbils may form on the stems and leaf axils, and bulblets (mini bulbs) often form along the main bulb underground or just at the soil surface.
Lilies in general will grow and begin filling out a garden over a matter of years. Some kinds of daylilies spread even faster than traditional lilies.
Do Asiatic lilies spread?
Yes, Asiatic lilies spread and multiply to fill a garden space within a few years of planting. When you examine your Asiatic lily patch, you may see some more mature lily plants as well as single bud lilies and tiny single leaf baby lilies growing nearby.
Do Oriental lilies multiply?
Yes, Oriental lilies like stargazer lilies multiply just like other lilies. Given the space to grow, you can expect your Oriental lily bed to expand over time.
Do trumpet lilies multiply?
Yes, like most lilies, trumpet lilies multiply freely. Easter lilies and other trumpets will continue to grow and spread over time.
Multiplying Lilies
Give your lilies space to grow and proper care, and they will reward you for many years to come!
How to Multiply Lilies
You can actually help lilies spread faster! It’s quick and easy and anyone can do it.
The easiest tip I can share for how to multiply lilies in your own garden is to divide lilies or even dig up the small, single bulbs and bulblets every once in a while, and move them elsewhere.
Try these tips:
- Find a lily that is just starting out. Either it has a single, long leaf sticking out of the ground or it’s only got a single bud. These are the easiest to dig up!
- Gently dig around it with your hand spade. Dig in a full circle to loosen the soil.
- On the last pass, gently pop the soil up like a lever with the hand shovel.
- Carefully remove the lily bulb that you wish to relocate.
- Go head and replant it anywhere else in your garden! Bury it at the same depth as where it was when you dug it up from the original location.
If you wish to try this on a grander scale, consider checking out our post on transplanting lilies!
One of the best things about a perennial garden is how the flowers multiply over time. Lilies spread as the bulbs grow bigger and more mature. Lilies also multiply as little bulblets form on the mother bulb or as bulbils form on the stem or leaf axils.
By the way, if you love lilies, you can also try propagating lilies from scales for a fun garden experiment!
Do you also love lily flowers of all kinds and want them to grow and spread across your gardens? Let’s chat in the comments about this amazing dream, along with any other questions or tips you may have.
Happy Gardening!
