Yellow lilies with red spots are some of the most striking flowers you can grow in your garden. The vibrant contrast between the sunny yellow petals and ruby spots grabs attention even from a distance. These beauties brighten borders, containers and cutting gardens with their colorful blooms.
In this article we’ll explore some of the most popular yellow lily varieties featuring red spotting. We’ll look at their growth habits ideal conditions, and tips for successfully cultivating these stunners at home.
An Overview of Yellow Lilies with Red Spots
Lilies come in a diverse range of colors from pure whites to deep oranges and everything in between. Yet bright yellow remains one of the most popular options for its cheerful disposition. Within the yellow lily category many cultivars also feature heavy red spotting on their petals and along their throats.
This spotting appears in a variety of forms. It can show up as tiny flecks, larger dots, streaks, or bold brush marks. Sometimes only the interior of the flower shows red coloration. In other cases, it comes through equally on both the inside and outside of petals.
Most spotted yellow lilies fall into the Asiatic or Oriental classes. They are hardy, vigorous growers that aren’t difficult for gardeners to cultivate. Some of the most well-known examples include:
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Lilium ‘Cocotte’ – A dwarf Asiatic with flat, pineapple-hued blooms and cherry margins.
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Lilium ‘Brushstroke’ – An Asiatic with chartreuse blooms boasting bold burgundy streaks.
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Lilium ‘Missouri’ – An Oriental with sunny yellow recurved petals and heavy ruby spotting.
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Lilium ‘Montreux’ – An Oriental hybrid with dark red speckles on glowing orange-gold blooms.
Below we’ll explore some of these eye-catching options in greater detail.
Popular Spotted Yellow Lily Varieties
Lilium ‘Cocotte’
This dwarf Asiatic grows just 2 to 3 feet tall. Its flowers are a solid pineapple-yellow with cherry red anthers and petal margins. Blooms are abundant, pollen-free, and work beautifully in floral arrangements.
‘Cocotte’ thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Give it plenty of space for good airflow. The rounded foliage combines attractively with red and purple companions. Pair with bee balm or ornamental grasses for nice contrast.
Lilium ‘Brushstroke’
Creamy primrose petals have bold magenta streaks and splotches on this mid-sized Asiatic. Mature plants reach 3 to 4 feet tall and produce upright, unscented blooms. The deep orange-red centers provide nice contrast against the soft yellow background.
This variety grows best in organically rich soil and full sun. Give it winter mulch in cold climates. ‘Brushstroke’ combines beautifully with red or white perennials like coral bells, daisies, and sedums.
Lilium ‘Missouri’
A fragrant Oriental lily growing 3 to 5 feet tall, ‘Missouri’ has large, nodding, sunny yellow blooms with recurved petals. Their interiors and throats are heavily dotted with large ruby brushmarks.
This variety needs excellent drainage and full sun for optimal growth. It tends to bloom mid to late season. Plant it along borders or walkways where its spicy fragrance can be appreciated. ‘Missouri’ pairs beautifully with other Asiatic and Oriental lilies.
Lilium ‘Montreux’
An Oriental hybrid lily, ‘Montreux’ has bowl-shaped blooms in a vibrant golden orange. Deep red speckling overlays the glowing color. Flowers reach up to 5 inches across on sturdy 4 to 6 foot plants.
Give ‘Montreux’ rich soil, full sun, and reliable moisture. Mulch heavily in winter. Its dramatic spotting contrasts beautifully against the bright orange-gold petals. Underplant with cool blue perennials like Russian sage.
Growing Tips for Yellow Lilies with Red Spots
Most spotted yellow lily varieties are not difficult to grow if given proper care. Here are some top tips for success:
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Sun and Drainage: Give them full sun to partial shade and soil that drains readily. Wet feet cause bulbs to rot. Adding compost improves drainage.
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Space: Allow ample room between plants, at least 2 to 3 feet in all directions. Good airflow prevents foliar diseases.
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Fertilizer: Use a balanced fertilizer when growth begins in spring. Stop feeding after buds form to prevent leggy stems.
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Support: Stake taller varieties if needed to prevent storm damage. Tie stems loosely to allow movement.
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Winter Care: After the first hard frost, cut stems to 3 inches above soil. Mulch heavily with 4-6 inches of material. Renew mulch in spring after new growth emerges.
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Pests: Watch for aphids, thrips and lily beetles. Remove by hand immediately and only use insecticidal soap if infestations persist. Slugs and snails can also be problematic.
Companion Planting for Yellow Lilies with Red Spots
Due to their bicolor nature, spotted yellow lilies pair beautifully with both warm and cool-toned blooms. Here are some top companion ideas:
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Orange lilies – Combine with other vibrant orange, yellow, or red lily varieties for maximum impact.
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Purple coneflower – Pink and purple Echinacea blooms provide perfect contrast.
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Bee balm – Red Monarda flowers complement yellow lilies nicely.
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Coral bells – Heuchera’s red and chartreuse leaves accent the lilies’ colors.
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Russian sage – Soft blue flowers and foliage offset the bold yellow and red.
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Sedum – ‘Autumn Joy’ and other stonecrops complement in form and hue.
Using Yellow Lilies with Red Spots in the Landscape
Picture these stunning lilies combined in perennial beds, borders, containers or cutting gardens. Here are some design tips:
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Place them near walkways or porches where their colors and fragrance can be enjoyed up close.
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Use them as thriller plants in large patio containers mixed with cool blue and purple companions.
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Underplant them with low growers like candytuft, dwarf zinnias, or creeping phlox.
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Plant in groups of 3, 5, or 7 for maximum visual impact. Odd numbers work best.
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Site them towards the rear or center of beds so their height doesn’t obscure other plants.
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Mix early, mid, and late blooming varieties to extend color from early summer into fall.
The stunning contrast of yellow lilies with red spotting makes them a jewel in any summer garden. Their vibrant hues draw the eye while the elegant forms lend height and drama. With excellent drainage and ample sunlight, these hardy bulbs will thrive and spread readily. Show them off in beds, borders or containers for vivid color lasting from midsummer into fall.
Erythronium americanum (Yellow Trout Lily)
| Also known as: | Yellow Adders-tongue, Dogtooth Violet |
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| Genus: | Erythronium |
| Family: | Liliaceae (Lily) |
| Life cycle: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | part shade, shade; moist rich woods, thickets, along streams |
| Bloom season: | April – May |
| Plant height: | 4 to 8 inches |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | none |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): | |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |
Pick an for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.
A single, nodding flower at the end of a stiff naked stalk 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm) long. Flowers have 6 lance-elliptic tepals (3 petals and 3 similar sepals) ¾ to 1 1/3 inch (20 to 33 mm) long, yellow sometimes tinged purplish on the outer surface and/or have reddish dots in the throat. There are 6 long stamens in the center, usually with deep rusty red tips (anthers), or sometimes yellow. Flowers open in the morning, the tepals flaring out and back, and close up at night.
Leaves are all basal, flowering plants with a pair of leaves and non-flowering plants with one. Leaves are lance-elliptic to oval to egg-shaped, 3 to 9 inches (to 23 cm) long, to 2 inches wide, toothless, hairless, tapering at both ends, on a slender stalk that arises from an underground bulb, most bulbs not producing flowers. Color is waxy blue-green irregularly mottled with purplish brown, the mottling typically fading with age.
Fruit is a capsule, oval to inverted egg-shaped, rounded at the tip end, about ½ inch (12 to 15 mm) long at maturity, usually held erect. Reproduction by non-flowering plants is via stolons (horizontal stems), that are buried just below the surface and form a new bulb at the end, from which a new shoot emerges the following year.
Leaves are very similar to Minnesotas other two Trout Lilies (E. albidum and E. propullans) though some of the s here were taken at Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden in Minneapolis, where both leaves with pale green mottling and flowers with yellow anthers were on display (the source of these plants is not known). Like the other Trout Lily species, the yellow is most common in rich woods and on flood plains, the leaves appearing by early April and completely gone by June, and can form large colonies. There are 2 recognized subspecies in North America: subsp. harperi, which has a limited range in a few southeastern states, has a minute point at the tip of a capsule; subsp. americanum has the rounded capsule described here and is found from the easternmost counties of Minnesota eastward and as far south as northern Alabama.
What to Do With Lilies After They Bloom
FAQ
Is yellow trout lily invasive?
Invasiveness: Trout Lilies are not known to be invasive. They spread at a slow pace over time and do not propagate aggressively.
What is a yellow flower with red spot?
Monkeyflower, Chickweed. Easy to overlook, this small monkeyflower has yellow flowers with a distinctive red spot on the lower lip. Leaves are small, toothed, and roundish on short stalks.
How to care for asiatic lily?
Asiatic lilies are relatively low-maintenance and easy to care for, thriving in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil. Plant bulbs in the fall or early spring, ensuring they are placed at a depth three times the bulb’s height.
Is the yellow spider lily poisonous?
All parts of Lycoris plants are toxic if ingested, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms in humans and pets.