Lily African Queen Group Lilium African Queen Group (Vi-/a)

Water

The African Queen Lily should be watered thoroughly, ensuring the soil is evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water the plant when the top inch of the soil feels dry to the touch, which typically means once a week, but this can vary depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Providing about a gallon of water per plant should suffice. During the active growing season in spring and summer, the lily may require more frequent watering. Reduce watering in the fall and further in winter when the plant is dormant.

Light

The African Queen Lily thrives best in full sunlight to partial shade. It should be placed in a spot that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. However, in regions with hot afternoons, providing some afternoon shade can protect the blooms from intense heat. An east-facing garden that gets morning sun is ideal for these lilies.

Temperature

The African Queen Lily prefers temperate conditions and is hardy in climates where the temperature typically stays between 40 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It can survive minimum temperatures down to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but for optimal growth, maintaining an environment where it does not regularly drop below freezing is ideal. It's important to protect the lily from extreme cold and heat.

Pruning

The African Queen Lily should be pruned to remove spent flowers and dead or damaged foliage, which encourages new growth and maintains the plant’s appearance. Pruning is typically done after flowering, usually in late summer or early fall. Deadheading, or removing the flower heads after blooming, helps prevent the plant from expending energy on seed production.

Cleaning

As needed

Soil

African Queen Lilies thrive in well-draining, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter. A mix of two parts loam, one part peat moss, and one part perlite or sand is ideal. These lilies prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH, ranging from 6.0 to 7.0.

Repotting

African Queen Lilies typically do not need frequent repotting; do so every 3 to 4 years or when the bulbs outgrow their container. Best to repot them after the blooming season.

Humidity & Misting

African Queen Lilies prefer moderate humidity levels around 40-60%. They do not require excessively high humidity and can tolerate average indoor conditions.

Suitable locations

• Indoor

  Provide bright, indirect light and good air circulation.

• Outdoor

  Plant in well-draining soil in a sunny spot.

• Hardiness zone

  4-9 USDA

Life cycle

The life of the African Queen Lily typically begins with the planting of a bulb in autumn or spring, which then produces roots and a shoot. The shoot grows into a stem, which gives rise to leaves as it elongates, ultimately producing a tall, robust plant. In summer, the African Queen Lily blooms, displaying trumpet-shaped flowers that are orange with maroon streaks, emitting a strong fragrance. After flowering, the plant sets seeds in pod-like structures if pollination occurs, although many gardeners remove the flowers to encourage the bulbs to store more energy. The leaves and stem wither and die back as the plant goes dormant in the fall, with the bulb surviving underground through winter. The next growing cycle begins the following spring when the bulb sends up new shoots, repeating the process.

Propogation

• Propogation time

  Spring-Early Summer

• Propogation: The most popular way to propagate an African Queen Lily is through bulb scaling. This method involves carefully breaking off a few of the smaller scales from the main bulb in the late summer or early fall, when the plant is not actively growing. The scales are then placed in a bag with slightly moist peat moss or vermiculite and kept in a warm place, around 70°F (approximately 21°C), to encourage root growth. In a few weeks, tiny bulbs known as bulblets will develop at the base of the scales. Once these bulblets have formed roots and the beginnings of shoots, they can be planted individually. This is an efficient way to produce a good number of new plants that are genetically identical to the parent and will typically flower in two to three years.