Lilies: big, beautiful and best handled with care

A few stems of lilies fill a vase and a room. They open one bud after another for well over a week and are a fixture at weddings, Easter and funerals. They also stain everything they touch and are deadly to cats, so it pays to know what you are buying.

Lily bouquets for celebrations and sympathy.

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A flower with a long religious history

The white Madonna lily, Lilium candidum, has been grown around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Christian painters used it as the sign of the Virgin Mary, and it is still the flower of churches at Easter. That is the root of the lily’s link with purity and, later, with funerals, where it stands for the soul at peace.

In Ireland the word Easter lily also brings to mind the paper badge worn at Easter to commemorate the 1916 Rising; the flower shown on it is actually an arum or calla lily, not a true lily.

Colours and their messages

White: purity, peace and remembrance; weddings and funerals.
Pink: admiration and affection; a good birthday or thank-you choice.
Yellow: cheerfulness and gratitude.
Red and deep orange: confidence and passion. In Northern Ireland the orange lily is a symbol of the Orange Order, something to keep in mind if you are choosing flowers for an occasion there.

The main types you will see

Oriental lilies: huge, scented flowers; ‘Stargazer’ (pink with darker spots) and ‘Casa Blanca’ (pure white) are the famous names.
Asiatic lilies: smaller, upward-facing flowers in bright colours with little scent.
LA hybrids: a cross with the Easter lily, with strong stems and a light fragrance.
Longiflorum or Easter lily: white trumpets, the classic church flower.
Tiger lily (L. lancifolium): orange with dark spots, mostly a garden plant.

Send lilies or a mixed bouquet anywhere in Ireland.

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At home with lilies

Take out the anthers. As each flower opens, pinch off the orange pollen-covered tips with a tissue. The flowers last longer and nothing gets stained.
Leave room for the buds. Lilies open from the bottom up, so a stem bought with several closed buds gives the longest show.
Fresh water and a trim every two or three days, and remove leaves below the waterline.
Cool and out of the sun slows them down; a warm room opens all the buds at once.

Bought in bud, a stem of lilies usually lasts ten days or more. See our care tips for general advice, or compare with roses and peonies.

Lily at a glance

Question	Answer
Botanical name	Lilium
Most scented	Oriental lilies
Little scent	Asiatic and LA hybrids
Cats	Highly toxic, even the pollen

⚠️ Danger for cats: All true lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) can cause fatal kidney failure in cats. Pollen on the fur, a nibbled leaf or vase water is enough. Never send lilies to a home with a cat, and if contact happens, contact a vet immediately.

Choose an elegant lily bouquet for a home without cats.

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Want to know more about what flowers mean? Read our guide to flower language or send flowers now.

Lily questions

Are lilies really that dangerous for cats?

Yes. True lilies and daylilies can cause kidney failure in cats, and a cat only needs to lick pollen off its fur or drink the vase water to be poisoned. If a cat has had any contact with a lily, ring a vet straight away. Dogs are not affected in the same way.

How do I get lily pollen out of clothes?

Do not rub it or use water first. Lift as much as possible with sticky tape, shake the fabric outside, and only then treat the mark. The easier answer is to pinch out the anthers as soon as each flower opens.

Why do lilies smell so strongly?

Oriental lilies such as Stargazer and Casa Blanca were bred for big, perfumed flowers. If scent bothers you, choose Asiatic or LA hybrid lilies, which have little or no fragrance.