Ivory Wedding Lily Bulbs

Lilium Oriental Hybrid — Ivory Wedding. Every florist has a white lily on the list. This is the one they charge extra for.

Wide ivory petals, faintly reflexed at the tips, with a green throat and a cluster of deep red anthers that gives the flower its centre of gravity. Six to eight inches across, four to six per stem, and heavily scented — the classic lily smell, strongest in the evening. It opens white and holds white; it does not go cream or papery after a week in the vase.

One stem is enough for a hall table. Three will scent an entire room, whether you want them to or not.

What you get

• Pure ivory-white petals with a green throat and deep red anthers.
• Heavy evening scent — the classic white lily fragrance.
• 4–6 blooms per stem, each 6–8 in across.
• Top-size 14/16 cm bulbs — first-season flowers on 3–4 ft stems.
• 10 days in the vase, opening one bud at a time.

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.