What Is the Difference Between a Stargazer Lily & a Fire Lily?

The genus Lilium includes about 110 species, some with hundreds of hybrids and named cultivars. Narrowing your garden choices to a few lilies can be difficult, but comparing differences between varieties, such as the widely grown "Stargazer" lily (Lilium "Stargazer" and Lilium orientalis) and the less common fire lily (Lilium bulbiferum), may help you determine the best lily for your garden.

Unlike many flowering plants with "lily" in their name, "Stargazer" lily and fire lily, also called orange lily, are both in the Lilium genus. They grow from scaly bulbs, each producing a single stem from its center with lance-shaped leaves up its length. That is about as far as it goes for similarities among the two lilies, however. Nearly everything else about these lily family members is different.

So many kinds of lilies exist that the International Lily Registry developed nine classes, or divisions, of lilies to help organize the various species and hybrids, and to give gardeners greater confidence that the bulbs they buy produce the lilies they expect. Bulb catalogs often use the division numbers -- noted as Roman numerals -- and the descriptive letters that accompany them in their listings. "Stargazer" lilies are considered Oriental hybrids and are labeled Division VII. "Oriental," in this usage, is a specific horticultural term for large, fragrant lilies hybridized from certain wild species. They differ from smaller, non-fragrant Asiatic lilies, which are classified as Division I. "Stargazer" was introduced in 1978. The fire lily is a European species that occurs naturally. It is in Division IX, which includes all wild or species lilies from throughout the world.

A quick glance at the lilies in full bloom may tell you all you need to know to decide between a "Stargazer" and a fire lily for your garden. The "Stargazer" magenta-pink, red-speckled flowers are edged in white with seven petals that open flat and curl back slightly at the tips. Each of those flowers is 6 to 8 inches in diameter and occurs in clusters of six to nine at the top of sturdy stems that are 2 to 3 feet tall. Fire lilies have six narrow, brilliant, red-tinged orange petals in a bowl-shaped blossom borne singly or in groups of two to five at the top of stems that are up to 4 feet tall. The flowers of both lilies, however, are classified as upward-facing.

"Stargazer" is the most widely grown type of Oriental lily, not only for its beauty but its adaptability. "Stargazer" is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 and grows in most soil types, as long as the soil drains well. It requires, however, full-sun exposure in order to bloom its best. You can make more of the plant by digging up its bulb and separating and replanting the scales. Fire lily is said to be simple to grow but is hardy in only USDA zones 4 through 7 or 8, depending on the source. It performs best in a site that receives light shade, but the plant can adapt to full sun, and it needs a rich soil with plenty of organic matter and good drainage to thrive. After blooming, fire lily develops small bulbils -- tiny bulblike seeds -- in the joint between the leaves and the stems. The bulbils can be planted to make more plants, though you'll get quicker results by dividing the main bulb's scales and planting them.