Lily
Tall, sculptural, gloriously scented — the true lilies (Lilium) are among the most rewarding bulbs you can grow, in the ground or a pot. But if you own a cat, read the safety note first: this is the single most important warning on the whole site.
Lethal to cats — including the pollen and the vase water
True lilies (Lilium) cause sudden kidney failure in cats. Every part is dangerous: a cat that bites a leaf, licks pollen from its fur, or drinks water from a lily vase can die without fast treatment. There is no antidote — survival depends on a vet starting decontamination and fluids, ideally within about 18 hours. If you have a cat, do not have cut lilies in the house and do not grow them where the cat roams. Dogs get only mild stomach upset. Source: ASPCA.
Care at a glance
Everything that matters, in six lines. The detail is further down.
Position
Most want sun on the flowers with the roots kept cool and shaded — a classic 'feet in shade' bulb.
Soil
They rot in wet ground. Plant deep (3× the bulb's height) on a little grit if your soil is heavy.
Water
Water through growth and flowering, especially in pots. Never let containers dry out or sit waterlogged.
Feeding
A tomato feed every couple of weeks from shoot-up to after flowering builds next year's bulb.
Aftercare
Snap off faded flowers but let the stem and leaves die down naturally — that's how the bulb refuels.
Hardiness
Most Asiatics and Orientals are hardy; a few (like some Easter lilies) want a sheltered spot or a pot brought in.
What to do, and when
Shoots push up fast. Start high-potash feeding, and watch for the red lily beetle from April — pick every one off by hand.
Peak flowering. Stake tall stems, keep pots watered and fed, and deadhead spent blooms while leaving the foliage.
Let stems yellow and die down, then cut away. Plant new bulbs now or in spring; lift and split congested clumps.
Hardy lilies sit dormant in the ground. Keep potted bulbs just moist and sheltered from the wettest weather.
The cat warning, in full — because it matters most
We break our usual calm tone here on purpose. True lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) cause acute, often fatal kidney failure in cats, and the dose is tiny — grooming a dusting of pollen off their coat can be enough. The early signs (drooling, vomiting, hiding, going off food) look minor and then the kidneys fail over two to three days.
If you have a cat: don't bring cut lilies into the house, check mixed bouquets for them, and don't grow them in a garden your cat uses. If a cat has any contact with any part of a lily, treat it as an emergency and call a vet straight away — the treatment window is roughly 18 hours, and waiting for symptoms wastes it.
Growing them well (in a cat-free garden)
Where cats aren't a factor, lilies are genuinely easy. Plant the bulbs deep in free-draining soil or a deep pot of gritty compost, give the flowers sun and the roots shade, and feed with a high-potash fertiliser from the moment shoots appear until a few weeks after flowering.
The one real pest is the scarlet lily beetle — beautiful and destructive. There's no shortcut: check the plants every few days from spring and squash the bright red adults and the unpleasant larvae by hand. Stay on top of it and the plants are trouble-free.
Common problems
Bright red beetles on the leaves
Lily beetle. Hand-pick adults and larvae every few days from spring — the single most important lily job.
Bulbs rotting, no shoots
Waterlogged soil. Lilies need sharp drainage — replant on grit, or grow in pots of gritty compost.
Flowers small, plant weak over years
Foliage cut down too early, or no feeding. Let leaves die naturally and feed with high-potash in growth.
Stems flopping
Tall Oriental types in wind or shade. Stake early and give them more sun.
Everything a lily needs
A cheap bulb that repays a good pot and sharp drainage.
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If you like this, try
Other plants with a similar temperament.
From the Notebook
Seasonal notes and guides that mention the lily.
How we checked this
Care guidance cross-checked against the Royal Horticultural Society and NC State Extension. Toxicity confirmed against the ASPCA database, which lists Lilium (Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum) as toxic to cats — kidney failure and possible death, cats the only species known to be affected. If our page and the ASPCA ever disagree, believe them and tell us. If our page and these sources ever disagree, believe them — and tell us.
Sources: RHS · NC State Extension · ASPCA
Last reviewed · July 2026