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Bulbs

Lilium 'Dark Secret'

lily 'Dark Secret'

A bulbous perennial producing a strong, upright stem to 90cm in height, clothed in shiny, dark green, lance-shaped leaves. In mid to late summer these are topped with a cluster of large upward-facing, trumpet-shaped, dark purple flowers, turning darker and blackish towards the centre. These contrast with bright orange anthers

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Sand

Loam

Clay

Chalk

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral, Alkaline, Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or South–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)

Botanical details

Family: Liliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright, 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: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Plant bulbs in autumn, 15cm deep, in moist but well-drained 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: separate offsets after the leaves have died down

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Low Maintenance
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Wall side borders

Pruning

No pruning required; tidy by deadheading spent flowers

Pests

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

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds and a virus. See lily diseases for further information

Get involved

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