Midnight Fire Lily Bulbs

Lilium Oriental Hybrid — Midnight Fire. Midnight Fire is built on contrast. The petals are a bright, almost glowing crimson at the tips, then darken steadily inward until the centre is a deep black-red — and the stamens finish the job, opening dark and turning vivid red as they ripen.

It is a compact, generous plant: 32–40 inches, five to seven flowers per stem, and buds that keep coming for close to a month. Unlike a lot of strong-coloured lilies, the red does not fade to a tired brick tone as the flower ages; it holds, then drops cleanly.

Plant it where you want heat. Against silver foliage or dark evergreens the black centre becomes the whole story.

What you get

• Glowing crimson tips graduating into a near-black centre.
• Red-tipped stamens that echo the petals as they ripen.
• Five to seven blooms per stem over a flowering window of up to a month.
• Colour-fast red that does not fade to brick before dropping.
• Top-size bulbs, zones 4–9, sturdy enough to leave unstaked.

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.