Small White Perennial Lilies

Lily flowers are often very fragrant.

Perennial lilies can be up to 7 feet tall but most of them, especially the daylilies, grow to about 3 feet tall. Varieties of perennial lilies exist that stay under 2 feet tall and bloom in white. These small lilies can be bulbous, meaning they grow from a bulb, or grow from roots. With widely varying growth requirements and hardiness zones, one or two of these small lilies should thrive in your flower garden or in your home.

African Lily

There are also blue and violet flowered African lily cultivars.

Agapanthus africanus, or African lily, grows to 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall. They bloom throughout the summer, producing clusters of white flowers at the end of 18- to 24-inch tall stems. This is a bulbous evergreen perennial that is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 to 10, although the Headbourne hybrids are hardy to USDA zone 6. It can be container grown and moved indoors in the fall in cold winter climates. These tough lilies can be grown in most soil types and are salt tolerant. They can be planted in full sun to partial shade.

Amazon Lily

Eucharis amazonica, or Amazon lily, blooms in the winter but will bloom again, up to two to three times per year, when the soil is kept slightly dry for one month after the flowers fade. The fragrant white daffodil-type flowers are produced in clusters of three to six on 18- to 24-inch tall stems. This is a tropical bulbous perennial lily plant that is hardy only in USDA zones 10 and 11. It can be grown in a container and moved indoors when temperatures begin to drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This plant requires organically rich soil and bright, indirect sunlight or dappled shade.

Daylily

Hemerocallis "Joan Senior" and "Marshmallow Cloud" are daylilies that grow to about 2 feet tall and bloom in white in the spring and summer. Individual blooms are open for only one day but the plants continue to produce new buds throughout the season. Daylilies are herbaceous perennials that grow from roots. These two cultivars are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Joan Senior has 6-inch diameter flowers and Marshmallow Cloud has 5 1/2-inch diameter flowers. Blooms on both plants have green throats. Daylilies are easy to grow in full sun or partial shade. They prefer organically fertile loamy soil but tolerate most types of soil as long as it drains well.

Spider Lily

Spider lilies grow naturally in swampy areas.

Hymenocallis caroliniana and H. liriosme are spider lilies. They are bulbous perennials that grow to between 1 1/2 and 2 feet tall. H. caroliniana produces five to 10 fragrant 6-inch diameter flowers at the end of a 22-inch long stem. H. liriosme produces 7-inch diameter white flowers atop 1- to 3-foot long stems. Spider lily flowers have a flattened central cup with six long, narrow graceful petals extending out around it similar to a spider and spider legs. H. liriosme is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10. H. caroliniana is hardy in zones 5 to 8. Both types of spider lilies should be grown in moist soil that is never allowed to dry out. H. liriosme grows in locations with up to 2 inches of water. They can both be grown in either full sun or partial shade.

Toad Lily

Tricyrtis "Shirohototogisu" and "White Towers" are toad lilies. They are herbaceous perennials that grow from roots to between 1 and 2 1/2 feet tall. These plants produce 1-inch long lily-type white flowers in late summer to fall. T. Shirohototogisu is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8. Its flowers have light lavender spots on their throats. T. White Towers is hardy in zones 4 to 9 and has pure white flowers. They can both be planted in full shade but prefer partial shade with moist organically rich soil that is not allowed to dry out.

References

• FloriData; Agapanthus spp.; Steve Christman; June 2007
• Guide to Houseplants: Amazon Lily
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Kemper Center For Home Gardening: Eucharis amazonica
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Kemper Center For Home Gardening: Hemerocallis 'Joan Senior'
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Kemper Center For Home Gardening: Hymenocallis liriosme
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Kemper Center For Home Gardening: Tricyrtis 'Shirohototogisu'