• Lily is our #7 most-popular flower, but you guys can get mighty specific about the type of lilies you want to see. In all reality, lilies as a whole are much more popular because stargazer lilies, tiger lilies, spider lilies, water lilies, Asiatic lilies, corn lilies, day lilies, calla lilies, and all the lilies in between add up to make a very popular flower. Has the word "lily" lost all meaning for you, yet, like it has for me? For a recap on how we find out which flowers are most popular in a bouquet, click here.

What are Lilies?

Photo credit: @rosenouveauweddingflowers

According to Wikipedia, a lily is a plant that belongs to the lilium genus, but there are a lot of other plants known as lilies. They typically grow in the northern hemisphere, ranging from the temperate regions to the tropics. Lilies are tall plants that grow from bulbs into big, flowers with multiple petals. The flowers are very fragrant and have distinctive tepals in their center.

What do you need to know about lilies in a bouquet?

Growing season

Lilies are late-spring-to-summer flowering plants. Most lilies have adapted to cool temperate climates, so they go dormant when it gets chilly out. An increased population of deer has limited the lily population as well, since deer love to snack on them! Ask your florist what's available for you in your area during your wedding's season.

Color variety

According to Wikipedia, lilies can come in a wide variety of colors, such as the following:

• Whites

• Yellows

• Oranges

• Pinks

• Reds

• Purples

Bloom size

Different types of lilies have different bloom sizes. For instance, the calla lily has a bloom size of up to 25cm (9.8in) and the stargazer lily can have a plant size of "a height of 36 inches with a spread of 10 to 14 inches with 2 to 8 flowers per stem." Ask your florist or do a little research online to find out how big your chosen lily breed is.