Lilium 'Firebolt' (VIIa/b-c)

RHS

Bulbs

An oriental hybrid lily, a bulbous herbaceous perennial about 80-90cm high, with alternate green leaves, and strong stems with up to twenty scented, upward-facing, trumpet-shaped, dark red flowers, with orange anthers, in late summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–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): H6

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Liliaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
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
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: Division VIIa lilies have large, strongly fragranced trumpet-shaped flowers in bright colours

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant bulbs in autumn, 15cm deep, in moist but well-drained acidic soil enriched with leaf mould or well-rotted organic matter, in a sheltered position, with the base of the plant in shade, for example from ground-cover plants, and the rest of the plant in full sun; for more advice, see growing lilies in containers

Propagation

Propagate by division: detach offset bulblets when the leaves die down and plants become dormant

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading will improve their appearance

Pests

May be susceptible to lily beetle, aphids, slugs, snails, thrips, leatherjackets and wireworms, and by rabbits and voles; plants in containers may be susceptible to vine weevil

Diseases

May be susceptible to lily disease, other fungal diseases, and virus diseases; for more advice, see lily diseases