This perennial flower bulb will spread abundantly in your flower garden with little or no care. As with many small flowering bulbs, rain lilies look best when planted in large drifts. On the other hand, if you have a small garden and can’t afford to dedicate that much real estate to one flower type, a group of a dozen rain lilies looks splendid tucked in beside a boulder, or peeking out between other sun-loving summer flowers like begonias, million bells, or guinea impatiens.
Light
Choose an area in full sun to plant rain lilies. Some dappled shade or afternoon shade is usually tolerated, especially in hot climates.
Soil
Rain lilies thrive in average to rich garden soil. The bulbs exhibit tolerance to a wide range of drainage situations, so try your luck with rain lilies in both boggy and sandy conditions.
Water
While rain lilies can survive periods of drought, you won’t see their flowers until a summer soaking triggers the blooms to appear. You can choose to wait out the drought, or irrigate the flowers thoroughly to prompt flowering.
Temperature and Humidity
Rain lilies are best suited for warm, humid environments. Gardeners in colder growing zones can still enjoy these plants in containers, where they perform reliably as border fillers.
Fertilizer
Rain lilies do not need to be fertilized, but if you’re planting them in heavy clay you can spread a layer of compost over the ground before they emerge in the spring.
Types of Rain Lilies
Unnamed white and pink rain lilies are the most common and easiest to find but do a little digging to find these named cultivars that will bring a range of colors to your flower garden.
‘Abacos Apricot’: Also known as August grass, this native of the Bahamas features coral blooms with a yellow center. ‘Bangkok Peach’: From July until early fall, enjoy the most delicate pale peach-hued blooms. ‘Beni Tama’: Flowering begins in June, with pink blooms and prominent yellow stamens. ‘Big Dude’: Broad white petals have a hint of lavender frost, making them glow in the night garden. ‘Rose Perfection’: A rare selection sporting perfectly pink flowers with a central white stripe on each petal. ‘Star of Bethlehem’: Vivid orange flowers with some yellow streaking ‘Fedora’: Large white flowers begin early, in May, and continue throughout the summer. ‘Lily Pies’: If you must choose just one, let it be this striking pink and white bicolor. ‘Midas Touch’: As the name implies, bright gold blooms on 10-inch stems.
Pruning
Rain lily foliage is mostly evergreen, but you can cut it back on occasion, or even mow it in a meadow garden, without harming the plants.
Propagating Rain Lilies
Once established, rain lilies will spread and multiply on their own, but they are not considered invasive.
Potting and Repotting
Rain lilies grow well in pots. The tops of the bulbs should be covered by an inch of soil. Although generally planted 2 to 4 inches apart when in the ground, when grown in containers, rain lily bulbs can be placed closer together, as they prefer being crowded.
Overwintering
In areas where rain lilies are hardy, you can leave them in the ground all year. North of USDA growing zone 7, you must dig the bulbs in the fall and store them in a frost-free area over the winter.
How to Get Rain Lilies to Bloom
Rain lilies rarely need encouragement to bloom, but if yours seem reluctant, consider the following factors:
Bulb spacing: overcrowding may thwart bloomingPlanting depth: each bulb should be planted four times as deep as its diameter; shallow bulbs resist bloomingSun exposure: rain lilies require full sun to bloomNitrogen: too much nitrogen in the soil may prevent blooming; avoid over-fertilizingDrought: adequate moisture is needed for bloomingCutting leaves: cutting foliage after flowering may affect next year’s blooming (resist cutting leaves until winter)
