Madonna Lily

How to grow Madonna Lily

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

This lily breaks all the usual lily rules. Plant in late summer, not spring, and plant shallowly with only about 3–5 cm of soil over the bulb — deep planting is the most common cause of failure. It also wants alkaline soil and full sun, unlike most garden lilies, and it produces a rosette of overwintering leaves in autumn.

Pruning

Remove the flowered heads and cut the stem down once it has yellowed. Do not clear the autumn basal rosette; that is next year's growth.

Propagation

Separate offsets during the short dormant period in mid to late summer, replanting immediately. Scaling is possible but this species is less amenable to it than most lilies.

Pests and diseases

Scarlet lily beetle is the main pest and must be picked off by hand from spring onwards. Botrytis is a recurring problem on this species in wet summers, marking and killing the leaves from the bottom up.

Value to wildlife

The strongly scented white trumpets attract bees by day and moths in the evening.

Notes

It resents disturbance and often sulks for a year after moving, then settles for decades. Note that lilies are well known to be dangerous to cats, and gardeners should check the plant's toxicity before growing it where cats have access.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Lilium candidum but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

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