Asiatic and Pineapple Lilies

Lilies makes great cut flowers that you can use in the house; they’re easy to grow, you can have a succession of blooms so you can cut any time you want (within season and within reason), and they’re perennial. Learn more about Asiatic and pineapple lilies in this P. Allen Smith video:

Lilies grow best in full sun and in well-draining soil. Once a lily has bloomed, trim off the seed head; you want to leave the foliage and bolster the bulb for next year’s bloom.

Asiatic lilies yield multiple blooms on one stem and come in a wide range of colors. If you want to bring them indoors as cut flowers, trim off the anthers so you don’t get pollen on anything and remove any leaves below the water level to prevent bacterial build-up. Stripping off all of the leaves gives the arrangement a sleek and more modern look. To make your arrangment last longer, re-cut the bottoms of the stems and add fresh water every day.

The pineapple lily is so named due to its resemblance to the pineapple fruit. Its flower spikes come up about 18-24 inches high, and it’s a beautiful plant for contrasting with other plants. Pineapple lilies are easily grown in containers, making them perfect for a small space, and they’re good cut flowers that will last for weeks if kept in clean water.