Yes, lilies will generally come back if you cut them. However, it's important to understand the impact this can have on their future blooms.
Understanding Lily Regrowth After Cutting
Lilies are perennial bulbs, meaning they store energy underground to regrow year after year. When you cut a lily stem for a vase, you are removing part of the plant that is crucial for replenishing the bulb's energy reserves.
Impact on Future Blooms
While cutting lilies won't usually kill the plant, it can significantly affect its performance in subsequent years:
- Reduced Flowering: Lilies that have their flower stems and foliage cut before they naturally die back may not flower as well the next year. This is because the plant relies on the leaves and stem to photosynthesize and send energy back down to the bulb.
- Energy Depletion: For the lily bulb to thrive and produce robust blooms in the following season, the entire plant — including the stem and leaves — needs to die back naturally. This process allows all the vital energy and nutrients to be reabsorbed into the bulb.
- Long-Term Maturity: If you do cut your lilies for floral arrangements, rest assured that the bulbs will typically mature again over time. It might just take a season or two for them to fully recover and produce blooms comparable to previous years, especially if a large portion of the foliage was removed.
Best Practices for Lily Care
To encourage strong, consistent blooms from your lilies year after year, consider these tips:
- Allow Natural Dieback: Whenever possible, let the lily foliage and stems yellow and die back naturally in the fall. This ensures maximum energy transfer back to the bulb.
- Minimal Cutting: If you must cut lilies for indoor display, try to leave as much of the stem and foliage as possible on the plant. A general guideline is to leave at least one-third to one-half of the stem intact with its leaves. This provides some capacity for photosynthesis and energy production.
- Deadhead Spent Blooms: Once the flowers fade, you can snip off just the spent blooms (deadhead them) to prevent the plant from putting energy into seed production. This allows the plant to focus its energy on strengthening the bulb for the next season's growth, while keeping the foliage intact.
By understanding the lily's growth cycle and energy storage process, you can make informed decisions about cutting stems to enjoy their beauty without severely impacting their long-term health and flowering potential.
