Formosan lily is an herbaceous perennial bulb in the lily family (Liliaceae) native to Taiwan (formerly Formosa). It is in the Longiflorum Lily group and has large fragrant white flowers appearing in late summer to fall. The species epithet is Latin for “of Formosa.” This lily does best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. Plant in average to fertile, slightly acidic, well-drained loam. This plant can grow 4 to 7 feet tall and may require staking; use care not to drive the stake through the bulb. This is one of the easiest lilies to grow and provides an excellent return on investment. The tall, erect stems are clothed with fine, narrow leaves. The white flowers are often tinged and striped with purple on their exterior. They are superbly fragrant. Flowers are followed by upturned capsules, which make excellent additions to dried floral arrangements. Formosan lily works in the late-summer border, cutting garden or cottage garden. It can be planted in containers, but the plants will be smaller. Grow as an accent or a cut flower. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : Aphids, bulb rot and Botrytis. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Lilium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 7 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
8-inch lance-shaped green leaves
Flower color
White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Head; Umbel
Flower shape
Trumpet
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
6-petaled trumpet-shaped flowers are 6 to 10 inches long. They are white and sometimes tinged with reddish-purple. The flowers are borne in groups or umbels of up to 10 flowers.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Good Dried; Showy
Fruit detail
Upperward facing seedpods remain attractive in the garden or for dried arrangements.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stiff green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Tawain
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Patio
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#HS302 #bulb #showy flowers #trumpet flowers #fall flowers #white flowers #fragrant flowers #cottage garden #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #problem for cats #full sun tolerant #border planting #cutting garden #patio #bat friendly #moth friendly
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Bulb Mites; Slugs and Snails Found on Flowers and Foliage; Aphids on Ornamental Landscape Plants; Potato Aphid on Ornamental Plants; Narcissus Bulb Fly