Stargazer Lily (former name Lilium ‘Stargazer’) is a hybrid lily of the Oriental group. Oriental lilies are known for their fragrant perfume, blooming mid-to-late summer. Stargazers are easy to grow and do best in full sunlight. They have a fast growth rate and should be planted in full sun in well drained loamy or sandy soil. When mature, Stargazers can grow to a height of 36 inches with a spread of 10 to 14 inches with 2 to 8 flowers per stem.
Stargazer lilies are often incorrectly called “Rubrum” lilies. Rubrums were a predecessor commercial lily to the Stargazers whose flowers pointed down to the ground. As such, consumers and other end users thought the rubrums were dead as the downward facing flower projected a non-vibrant, non-living look. The Stargazer lily was created in 1974 by Leslie Woodriff, a lily breeder in California, to overcome this downward look. Woodriff called the new cross ‘Stargazer’, because the blooms faced towards the sky.