To receive your tiger lily off to the ideal beginning, it’s important to ascertain what flower you’ve actually purchased. Not surprisingly, more than one spotted blossom with exotic petals is referred to as tiger lily. Luckily, all belong to the same botanical family, Lilium, that minimizes confusion considerably. However, where you set the blossom is a must, since some tiger lilies need all the light they can get, while others bear or even prefer part shade.
Lilium Lancifolium
Lilium lancifolium, which also has the botanical synonym Lilium tigrinum, prefer full sunlight or partial shade. These tiger lilies will probably enjoy daytime colour in areas with dry, hot summers. The Oriental native Lilium lancifolium is the sole “tiger lily” which isn’t native to the U.S. Lilium lancifolium features spotted flower heads so lush that they bend down, frequently needing staking to keep stems from splitting. Color types include yellow and pink. The plants grow over 4 feet tall in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 to 9.
Lilium Colombianum
Lilium colombianum prefers part shade. Although it’s a well-known western wildflower, some people today cultivate Lilium colombianum in their own gardens. Commonly known as wild tiger lily or Columbian lily, the plant grows between 3 to 6 feet in height, bearing cup-shaped, pale orange flowers with dark spots. It thrives in summer’s drier grounds, but is also located along streams and riverbanks.
Lilium Parvum
A wetlands plant, Lilium Parvum, also referred to as Alpine lily or Sierra tiger lily prefers partial shade and moist soil. As a wildflower, it’s native to California and is almost exclusively found in the north and central inland regions of the state. The vividly-hued flowers are bell-shaped, with yellow centers splashed with maroon spots, in addition to dark orange petals. Depending on growing conditions, it attains 2 to 6 feet grown as a cultivated plant in USDA zones 5 to 9.
Lilium Michauxii
Lilium michauxii, most frequently known as the Carolina lily, is a fantastic choice for the full-sun garden. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, however, the blossom is so similar to its cousins that it’s sometimes grouped with the tiger lilies also from the Lilium family. It is most similar in look to the yellowish Lilium lancifolium. A native of the southeastern section of the U.S., Lilium michauxii thrives in USDA zones 5 to 8. It is a nodding flower with petals that curve upwards. The flowers are light yellow with a red blush, maroon-spotted at the middle. They grow between 1 to 4 feet.