Is Garden Lily deer resistant?

Deer browse the buds and stems, and the real threat in many regions is now lily leaf beetle, whose larvae strip plants to bare stalks. Bulbs need sharp drainage and rot in wet ground. Never cut more than a third of the stem when taking flowers, since the leaves feed next year's bulb.

Do deer eat lilies?

Yes. Rutgers rates Lilium, the true lilies, Occasionally Severely Damaged, the third tier, and the pattern is the daylily's: the buds and the top of the stem are taken as they rise, the plant survives, and the reason for growing it does not. NC State's entry says nothing about deer, so the tier rests on Rutgers. The daylily, which is not a lily, sits in the same tier for the same reason, and the calla, which is not a lily either, sits one tier better.

Where it grows

NC State: zones 3a to 8b, 1 to 6 feet, full sun or partial shade, flowering in summer, in sharply drained ground, since "bulb rot" from wet soil is on the problem list with aphids that carry mosaic virus and the lily leaf beetle. The ASPCA lists lilies as toxic to cats, and NC State's entry carries the same warning: "Lilies are toxic to felines and should be avoided in homes with cats." The callout below carries it.

Protecting lilies

The spike rises over weeks and the 20 percent egg spray Colorado State rates High goes on as it does, renewed at about thirty days until the flowers open. A cutting row inside a fence needs nothing.

If it is browsed

A stem browsed below the buds sends no replacement that year; the bulb ripens on whatever leaf is left and flowers the next summer if enough was left. A stem stripped to the ground before July may not.