Lily Flowers

Lilies are one of the world’s most delicate and beautiful flowers, idolized by countless cultures past and present. While for many flowers it is acceptable to generalize across the whole species, lilies are not so. The lilium genus contains hundreds of lily species, most with significant differences. The most common and recognisable Lily is arguably the white lily, which has a traditional lily shape as opposed to the calla lily.

Find an Australian Florist for Lilys

Compare florist prices from suburbs within the following states:

• New South Wales Florists for Lily Flowers
• Victorian Florists for Lily Flowers
• Queensland Florists for Lily Flowers
• Western Australian Florists for Lily Flowers
• South Australian Florists for Lily Flowers
• Tasmanian Florists for Lily Flowers
• Northern Territory Florists for Lily Flowers

All florists deliver to the metropolitan area, while most deliver to rural suburbs.
A delivery fee may incur depending on your location and the delivery terms.

Guide to Lily Flowers

1.1 – What does the Lily flower symbolise?

1.2 – What occasions are best to give Lily flowers as a gift?

1.3 – How long do Lilys live and bloom for?

1.4 – What different type of Lily flower species are there?

1.5 – Which conditions does the Lily tree need to grow?

1.1 What is the meaning of the lily flower and what do they symbolise?

A sign of purity for the West and a good luck charm in the East, the lily has varied in meaning throughout history and still differs today according to the type of lily. Some meanings of lily flowers include:

• Joy: Lilies in general signify happiness, particularly the Lily of the Valley, a unique variant of the lily flower which grow as clusters of flower cups as opposed to one large petaled head per stem.
• Purity: Most while flowers have a symbolisation of purity, virtue or innocence, yet white lilies (or Madonna lilies) date back to the origins of Christian religion, where the Virgin Mary picked a yellow lily and turned white.
• Fertility: Expectant mothers in ancient civilisations were handed a lily and a rose flower to choose one or the other. If the woman chose the lily, her child was expectant to be a male. On the other hand, a rose would signify a female. The ancient Greeks also viewed it as a sex symbol, as the long pistil stemming from the stigma was a fertile imagery.

1.2 What occasions are best to give Lily flowers as a gift?

Lilies are beautiful regardless of occasion, and will be appreciated as just about any gift at any time. However, they are well known traditional flowers for many events, such as weddings, funerals and Easter.

• Weddings: The calla lily is a renowned flower for wedding bouquets and arrangements. The calla lilly symbolises magnificent beauty – what more meaning would you want out of a wedding flower? Calla lilies are sought after for their simplicity and elegance, where as an asiatic or oriental lily as a wedding flower is chosen for its fragrant scent, and of course to suit the bride’s beauty.
• Funerals, Easter: Because lilies naturally bloom in Easter, and has a strong connection with the Christian religion, the lily is used as a funeral flower or part of a funeral arrangement, such as a lily wreath. The symbolism behind using lilies is that they represent resurrection.
• New Relationship/Engagement: What beautiful flower with sweet smell to boot wouldn’t make somebody happy? Celebrate your friend or families engagement with a bouquet of lilies, or even a single Lily of the Valley to celebrate the return to happiness in a new relationship.

1.3 How long do Lily from a florist live for?

The length of time lilies remain fresh and blooming for is highly subjective to the species of lily. For instance, lilies of the valley will only stay rigid for a couple of days, calla lilies generally last up to 7 days, while oriental lilies can last up to 2 weeks if maintained properly.

Keep in mind that the pollinating limbs of the flower often have thick orange pollen which can brush and stain clothing and materials. Simply remove or wipe the pollen off the anthers to relieve any stain or allergy issues. This is particularly relevant to Asiatic lilies.

Keep lilies in a cool area of the home preferably out of constant sunlight. Like most cut flowers, lilies bought online from a florist last longer if you change the water daily, provide food and cut the stems underwater to inhibit air bubbles.

1.4 What different type of Lily flower species are there?

There are over 100 species in the lilium genus, though the most common types of lily flowers you’ll see from day to day are:

• Oriental (Asiatic): Varieties include the ribbon and stargazer lilies. While they are stunningly elegant, they have little scent in comparison to other lilies, making them prime for arrangements where you don’t want their fragrance to interfere, or for arrangements where smell is irrelevant.
• Calla: The delicate, simple variant of the lily flower is prized as a wedding flower and too has a soft scent. They can thrive in cold conditions, even freezing.
• Tiger: An extravagant red and orange lily which symbolises prosperity and wealth.
• Trumpet: A hardy lily favored for it’s adaptability and ease to grow. Derives its name from the outstretched petals creating the shape of a trumpet on the head.
• Water: Generally grown in a pot first then transplanted to a shallow pond or stream. These flowers are unique as they grown on the surface of the water as opposed to soil, creating a fan like array of petals stemming from the flower head. Also known as the Lotus flower.
• Rock: A bulbous lily variant native to our very own New South Wales. They don’t resemble more traditional lilies, and grow (as the name would suggest) on rocks and trees.

1.5 What conditions does the Lily flower need to grow?

Climate: Lilium is a hardy genus capable of growing in both tropical as well as cooler climates even with snow and frost. Ultimately all they need is a climate with regular sunlight and rainfall. Simple.
Soil: The lily is highly adaptable to different soil, and in general any soil pH between 6.0 (slightly acidic) to 7.5 (slightly alkaline) will make do. A loose, flat bed of soil with good drainage and at least 2-3 hours of shade per day is preference for most lily flowers.
Planting: As long as the ground is not frozen, lily bulbs can be planted just about anytime during the year. The soil must not be too tight or else water will be trapped and cause bulb rot. As a general rule of thumb, plant the bulbs as deep as three times the height of the bulb.
Fertilizer: As lilies have lenient preference to soil pH, general purpose fertilizer is suitable, but not even necessary as lily bulbs generally provide all the nutrients already. Adding a layer of mulch can help protect the bulbs from insects and rough weather.
Insects & Disease: Throughout spring and summer, spray with insecticide to keep away aphids, bugs and various pests. The same applies for winter and autumn, though the likelihood isn’t as high.
Height at Bloom: Water lilies (lotus flowers) have a very short stem and grow to only ~5-7 inches in height. Other full stemmed lilies can typically grow up to 15 inches in full bloom.
Watering: Like most flowers, natural rainfall is sufficient but water if no rain has fallen for over a week. Ensure that there is enough sunlight to dry the flowers or quality soil drainage as excessive moisture can lead to leaf rot and other fungal flower diseases.