Royal Navy Lily Bulbs

Lilium Oriental Hybrid — Royal Navy. Blue is the colour gardeners chase and almost never get. Royal Navy comes closer than most — a deep, saturated navy that reads almost black in shade and turns unmistakably blue in sunlight, with a scatter of gold speckles around the throat that catches light like pollen.

The flowers are 6–7 inches across, lightly reflexed, and carried three to five to a stem on plants that top out around 40 inches. Fragrance is pronounced but softer than a white Oriental, which makes it a better candidate for a vase on a desk.

Plant it where the sun hits it from the side. Backlit, the blue goes translucent at the petal edges.

What you get

• Deep navy-blue petals with fine gold speckling at the throat.
• Near-black in shade, true blue in sun — exceptional depth.
• Slightly reflexed 6–7 in blooms, three to five per stem.
• Soft, sweet fragrance that suits indoor arrangements.
• Top-size bulbs, hardy in zones 4–9, perennial and multiplying.

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.