THE SOILS THAT LILIES LIKE 
ARTHUR HERRINGTON 
An Experienced Culturist’s Very Practical Instructions on the Way to Grow Lilies Successfully 
irapiSHE world-wide distribution of Lilies and the diverse 
conditions of soil and climate that must necessarily 
mffwM prevail over a wide range of territory tend to complicate 
SpIlHiP" the problem of establishing Lilies in our gardens and 
maintaining them there in varying degrees of permanency. 
Of these two governing factors, soil is probably of much more 
importance than climate. 
We cannot hope successfully to compound soils of the same 
equivalent constituents, as for example the volcanic detritus 
on the slopes of Fujiyama where the glorious Lilium auratum 
has its home; or the rocky mud shales of the mountains of 
western China where Wilson found the Regal Lily in countless 
thousands; or the carboniferous limestones where Henry first 
discovered the beautiful Lily that now bears his name. 
We are however concerned in providing for the Lilies we wish 
to plant a soil that is congenial, conducive to healthy growth, 
containing essential constituents of the proper mechanical 
condition, yet devoid of other elements we may know, or believe, 
to be inimical. 
I N A broad, general sense it may be stated that a soil which 
will grow good Corn or Potatoes will grow a great many of 
the most robust and most dependable Lilies. But such a soil 
will not grow all Lilies; and this probably accounts for two 
divergent and apparently confusing statements recently seen 
in print. 
In one case the writer advises: “in preparing the beds for 
Lilies it is well to test them with litmus paper, and, if any sour¬ 
ness exists, the soil should be well limed.” Elsewhere in a 
standard work of reference we are told “ lime is poison to most 
Lilies.” The facts are that there is some truth in both state¬ 
ments, extremely contradictory though they seem. 
A soil that would not react to the litmus test and hence is 
devoid of acidity, is, in fact, a good garden soil which would 
grow Corn and Potatoes, and will certainly grow the following 
Lilies: L. candidum, L. croceum, L. chalcedonicum, L. dauri- 
cum, L. Hansoni, L. Henryi, L. Martagon, L. pomponium, L. 
regale, L. speciosum, L. Szovitzianum, L. testaceum, L. tigrin- 
um, and L. umbellatum. 
Some of the Lilies just named are to be found growing wild 
on the limestone hills of Europe so there is every reason why they 
should also grow in ordinarily good garden soil; and its lime 
content (if not excessive) is certainly not an important factor in 
their life and well doing. But the nature or texture of the soil 
has much to do with ultimate success. A good loamy soil hav¬ 
ing a porous or gravelly subsoil which permits of deep cultiva¬ 
tion and provides the all-essential under drainage presents no 
difficulties. 
The aim should be to provide a deep, cool root run that will 
store and hold an ample moisture content during the growing and 
flowering period, yet not hold an excess of water during the 
dormant period. Those who have to deal with soils of a more 
clayey nature, with possibly a heavy clay subsoil, must adopt 
corrective measures to ensure the essential drainage. A cold, 
wet, stagnated root condition during the dormant period means 
decay and death. 
O THER things, besides an uncongenial soil, have led to 
failures with Lilies. The usual advice is to plant Lily 
bulbs deep, but unless the soil well below the deeply planted 
bulbs has first been prepared for them it may be devoid of 
sustenance! Again some Lilies are stem-rooting and these stem 
roots are a powerful and necessary auxiliary to vigorous growth 
and blooming. Others never have stem roots, and need not, 
indeed should not, be so deeply planted. For example, L. 
candidum, when quite at home, will increase and push its bulbs 
above the ground. Of the previously mentioned Lilies these 
are stem rooting: L. croceum, L. Henryi, L. Hansoni, L. regale, 
L. speciosum, and L. tigrinum. The others root from the bulb 
only. 
L IME is a poison to some glorious Lilies because they are 
j indigenous to soils not only devoid of lime, but often strongly 
acid. They grow naturally in soils made up in large part of 
prolonged accumulations of decayed vegetable matter. Soils 
of this character do not, as a rule, prevail in gardens. If we 
would successfully establish the lime-hating Lilies, we must per¬ 
force prepare for them a suitable soil, using materials free 
from lime but rich in vegetable matter such as peat, leaf mould, 
and humus—soils that will absorb and retain summer moisture, 
but having under-drainage for the passing away of excess winter 
water. 
Our best native American Lilies belong to the lime-hating 
group as, for example, L. superbum and L. canadense of the 
Eastern States; also L. pardalinum, L. Humboldti, L. Parryi, 
L. Roezli, L. washingtonianum and others from the Pacific 
Coast States. In addition to these there is Japan’s most strik¬ 
ing Lily, L. auratum; and the noblest Lily known to man, L. 
giganteum from the Himalaya Mountains of India. 
In soils where Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, and kindred 
shrubs flourish, practically all these Lilies can be grown, and 
when seen established in gardens they are usually in association 
with this type of vegetation. No uniformity of condition or 
treatment however, will apply to all of them as some need more 
moisture than others; some require a free, loose soil; others a 
root medium of considerable body and tenacity. The best L. 
auratum I have seen in an American garden were in western 
Pennsylvania and they were quite happy in a strong clay 
loam, which contained a very small percentage of vegetable 
matter. 
I T IS usual to recommend that Lilies be grown in association 
with other suitable vegetation for the protection and ground 
shade this vegetation gives, but in all probability the beneficent 
association is more extended than this. The root growth of the 
other plants undoubtedly maintains a healthier soil condition 
contributing to its aeration and lessening the possibility of 
moisture stagnation. It should ever be remembered that Lilies 
are pure, untamed children of nature. In this respect they differ 
greatly from the majority of garden flowers which are improved, 
garden-developed types. Many Lilies will not grow where we 
would like to see them growing, yet they might be permanently 
established in the same gardens under conditions and in positions 
hitherto given no consideration. 
Last year a friend took me for a long drive through a very 
rural and much neglected part of Connecticut. Among many 
interesting things I saw a quantity of Tiger Lilies perfectly 
naturalized by the roadside. They may have been thrown out 
of some old farm garden, as it was an abandoned farming district, 
but it was evident they had been long established there, and, 
under congenial conditions without care or cultivation, were 
six feet high and blooming profusely. 
119 
