Black Velvet Lily Bulbs

Lilium Oriental Hybrid — Black Velvet. A flower this dark needs an edge, or it disappears. This one has a gold one.

The petals are black in the throat and blacker at the tip, with a hairline of warm gold traced along the margin — enough to draw the outline of the flower against a dark hedge or a dark wall. The stamens are orange, which is the only other colour in the whole bloom. Six inches across, three to five to a stem, thick-petalled and weatherproof.

It is not a cheerful plant. It is a plant that makes people walk over and look.

What you get

• Black petals with a fine gold edge that keeps the flower readable in shade.
• Orange stamens — the only other colour in the bloom.
• Thick, weatherproof petals that do not spot or shred in rain.
• Top-size 14/16 cm bulbs — flowers the first season.
• Hardy to zone 4; multiplies steadily without lifting.

How to grow it

• Plant: 6 in / 15 cm deep, 8–10 in apart, in full sun and well-drained soil. Pointy end up. Mark the spot — lilies are late to emerge in spring.
• Water: soak after planting, then whenever the top inch of soil dries. Never let water sit in the hole.
• Light: 6+ hours of direct sun; light afternoon shade keeps the flowers from fading.
• Cold: fully hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Mulch the first winter; no lifting needed.
• After flowering: cut only the flower stems. Let the foliage yellow on its own — that is next year’s bulb being built.

Shipped dormant and cleaned, 14/16 cm top-size bulbs. Dispatch in 5–7 working days, 8–25 working days in transit. Colour depth varies with soil, light and season — the first flower from a fresh bulb is usually the most intense.