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Flowers are known to add positive vibrations in our lives. We use flowers in almost every occasion as their color, their texture, beauty, and fragrance add to the positive energy that floats in the room. Many people prefer growing flowering plants inside and outside their homes as their bloom is a sign of life and of rebirth. There are many different species of flowers that are widely grown at home, with lilies being one of them.

Commonly called ‘Lily,’ Lilium is a flowering plant that grows from a bulb. The plant offers large prominent flowers that have a lot of importance in various cultures all over the world. They come in different colors that include white, yellow, orange, red, purple, and pink. Lilies are perennial flowers, meaning, they return year after year with proper care.

Lilies have six petals. Based on its type, the portals can be plain or strikingly marked. The flowers are trumpet-shaped and they sit atop a tall stem. They have narrow and long lance-shaped leaves that add to the beauty of the flower. There are several different species and an endless number of hybrids of lily that are available in the market, such as Asiatic lilies, Easter lilies, Oriental lilies, and Trumpet lilies being the most common hybrid species. Each species differ from the other based on their prominent features, and caring for them differs accordingly.

Stargazer Lilies

Stargazer Lilies belong to the Oriental lilies hybrid species and have the botanical name Lilium Orientalis ‘Stargazer’. They were selectively bred from a group of eastern Asian species in 1974 and are known for having bowl-shaped, or flat-shaped flowers with an unusual fragrance. They grow from a bud and spread their scent as they bloom, spreading their petals.

The most common stargazer lilies are pink in color. They have star-shaped pink petals with white edges. The petals are spotted and the blooms are extremely attractive and fragrant. The beautiful pink petals are contrasted by mustard yellow anthers. Other colors include yellow and white. These flowers are large and showy with ruffled petals that are impossible to hate.

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Stargazer Lilies are perennial plants that are grown for their glossy foliage and striking blooms. They grow up to four feet in height, which makes them suitable for middle or back row planting. Each stem of this plant holds nearly two to eight magnificent flowers. Though they grow tall in stature and hold multiple buds, they do not sulk and do not need staking. Stargazer lilly care is easy and can be done by anyone the basic knowledge of gardening.

How to care for Stargazer Lilies?

Stargazer lilies are native to eastern Asia. These plants are easy to grow and care for, and make an ideal companion for those who do not have a lot of time to tend to their garden. They can be grown indoors or outdoors as well. Stargazer lilly care includes the following.

• Planting the lilies

You cannot plant stargazer lilies in any season and expect them to grow. For best results, buy the best quality bulbs in spring and plant them immediately. Make sure that you buy bigger bulbs without any rot in them. Bigger bulbs produce better results.

Before you plant them, remember that they grow up to four feet and select an appropriate site.

These lilies grow in most types of soil as long as they are well-draining and are not heavy clay soil. The best choice is slightly acidic soil with a pH of between 6.3 to 6.9. All you must do is to plant the bulbs at a depth of around 6 inches, at a distance of at least 8 inches from each other which allows them enough space to grow. Mulch over the topsoil to retain moisture and to keep the soil cool. One of the vital aspects of stargazer lilly care is watering them generously to maintain the moisture in the soil.

To plant them indoors, choose a container that is at least 6 inches deep and wide, and has drainage holes in the bottom. Fill the container with a well-draining soil, and plant the bulbs 5 inches deep. Water moderately.

• Soil

These plants do well in medium soil with average moisture. They grow fine in neutral soil, but a slightly acidic soil will offer more benefits. You can use alkaline soils or neutral soils and add an acid fertilizer to them.

• Watering

Stargazer lilies need moist soil to grow, and hence to ensure that they grow ideally, you must water the plants regularly. Do not let them dry out, or do not let them rot with excessive water. They do not fare well in dry, or overly wet and soggy soil. It is vital to strike a good balance.

To ensure that your stargazer lily receives the right amount of moisture, you must choose good quality, well-draining soil with organic matter in a good proportion that will help the plant’s roots to drain excess water.

Adding organic matter to soil is the best way to retain moisture as a well-graining soil without organic matter in it could drain the water too quickly and leave the plants dry. Make sure to water the plants when the top layer of the soil feels dry to touch.

When you water stargazer lilies, make sure that you do not water from above as it can damage the delicate flowers. You must use a hose low to the ground. You can use drip irrigation system at the soil level as well.  Remember to cease water in winter as these plants enter a period of dormancy.

• Light

For best results, growing these lilies under the sun offers the best results. Stargazer lilies that are grown in a full sun position, and with 8 hours of full sun can produce large luscious blooms. Partial shade once in a while is acceptable, but it can be problematic if they are subject to partial shade each day. As they seek out the sun, they may stretch their stem and become leggy. In such cases, the step will fail to hold the weight of the large flowers. They will droop and fall and may need staking.

• Temperature

Stargazer lilies grow well across all climatic conditions. They do well across all hardiness zone range provided that the soil conditions are favorable. Though they can survive in all climatic conditions, they strive well in hot conditions. These plants prefer having their stem and leaves in full sun, and midsummer conditions where temperatures reach 80 to 90 degrees F is considered to be most suitable.

 These flowering plants are true sun lovers and like to have their foliage, stems, leaves, and flowers bathe in the sun’s heat all day long. Though they love the heat, their roots do not favor the sun. In order to keep the root system cool, apply a layer of mulch over the soil. Mulch insulates the soil keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter.

• Propagation

These flowering plants produce offshoots from their bulbs. Offshoots are nothing but baby bulbs that can be removed from the main bulb and planted separately. The new bulbs create a new set of lilies. Dig up the original stargazer lily preferably early spring or late fall when the plant does not have leaves or flowers. Avoid digging it up in the growing season.

Lift the plant out of the soil and brush the soil away to see the bulb. Separate the bulbs using a sharp knife and replant them. These baby bulbs will take a few years to produce flowers.

• Feeding

Did you know that a stargazer lily is a heavy feeder? One of the vital aspects of stargazer lilly care is giving them a generous helping of balanced fertilizer. It is ideal to use fertilizers at the start of spring when the Lilly shoots are just emerging from the ground. You can water it in for best results. You can use small doses of fertilizers every few weeks throughout the growing season. It helps the plant thrive well. Make sure to cease fertilizing towards the end of summer. Fertilizers are not an essential part of growing stargazer lilies, but it is recommended.

• Pruning

Pruning is a part of gardening and almost every plant needs pruning. Pruning is also a part of stargazer lilly care, but these plants need minimal pruning. When the flowers dry out, you can cut out the small stalk attached to the main stalk. It prevents energy from being used in seed production and helps to improve the overall health of the plant. The energy saved can be used to improve the health of other parts of the plant.

The leaves that dry turn yellow and then brown. Most people prefer removing them when they turn yellow. As it benefits the plant, it is suggested to leave them on the plant for as long as possible, and remove them when they turn completely brown and will come away easily. If your plant is bare, cut the remaining parts to ground level.

Stargazer lilies bloom from mid to late summer. They produce a distinct spicy fragrance that some people find to be very unpleasant. They measure more than 6 inches across and are commonly seen in bouquets. They are the easiest of all lilies to grow and understanding stargazer lilly care makes it simpler to grow them.