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Bulbs

Lilium 'Sweet Betsy' (IIc/d)

lily 'Sweet Betsy'

A bulbous perennial to about 1.5m with whorls of leaves on upright stems topped in summer with a spire of about 20 recurved, cream flowers flushed with light pink and speckled with dark pink, with prominent orange anthers

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Liliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Ornamental bulbs - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. TOXIC to pets if eaten (cats) - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Lilium are bulbous perennials with erect stems bearing whorled or spirally arranged leaves and terminal racemes or umbels of bowl-shaped, trumpet-shaped, funnel-shaped or turks cap shaped flowers, often fragrant, and white, yellow, orange or red
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in any well-drained soil enriched with leaf mould or well-rotted organic matter

Propagation

Propagate by separating offsets after the foliage dies down

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Cut flowers

Pruning

Remove seedheads unless required and cut down stems once foliage dies down

Pests

May be susceptible to lily beetle, aphids and slugs

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds and a virus. For more advice, see lily diseases

Get involved

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