Lily Of The Nile is a perennial grown for its blue blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 8 through 11 and shrugs off deer. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Lily Of The Nile — the short answer
Lily Of The Nile: grown in zones 8–11, full sun, pH 5.5–7.5.
- USDA zones
- 8–11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Lily Of The Nile on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether lily of the nile actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score lily of the nile against your land's real conditions.
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What Lily Of The Nile is
Lily Of The Nile grows as a perennial and reaches around three feet at maturity. It blooms blue in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Lily Of The Nile
Lily Of The Nile grows in USDA zones 8 through 11. Lily Of The Nile does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
8-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
3 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant lily of the nile in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Lily Of The Nile prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut lily of the nile blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Lily Of The Nile thrives
Lily Of The Nile is hardy across USDA zones 8 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 8–11 spans average winter lows from 10°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 1 outright and splits 27 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 8–11·Where Lily Of The Nile growsOpen map →
Where Lily Of The Nile stands, state by state
Lily Of The Nile is rated for zones 8–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 1 sits fully inside that band, the line runs through 27 more, and 23 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
27 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- Idaho · zones 3b-8a
- California · zones 4b-11a
3 of 27 shown
Lily Of The Nile’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Lily Of The Nile
Growing guides for lily of the nile
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — lily of the nile is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Lily Of The Nile offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Lily Of The Nile's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Lily Of The Nile will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether lily of the nile actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Lily Of The Nile
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Lily Of The Nile in my zone?
Lily Of The Nile grows in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Lily Of The Nile?
Most growers plant lily of the nile after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Lily Of The Nile need?
Lily Of The Nile needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Lily Of The Nile need?
Lily Of The Nile prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Lily Of The Nile attract pollinators?
Yes — lily of the nile's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Is Lily Of The Nile safe for pets?
Lily Of The Nile is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)