Lily Care
A nonprofit educational society founded in 1947 and headquartered in Marion, North Carolina, serving lily enthusiasts, growers, and breeders across North America through tiered memberships, publications, a seed exchange, virtual education, and annual lily shows.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lily Care does
The North American Lily Society (operating under the name "Lily Care" in the source material) is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1947 and headquartered in Marion, North Carolina, dedicated to promoting the genus Lilium. It serves a distributed base of lily enthusiasts, hobbyist growers, and breeders across nearly every U.S. state and Canadian province, supported by a federation of 14+ regional societies and international affiliations. The society's core activities include maintaining an archival knowledge base (6,800+ pages of lily information compiled across decades of yearbooks), running an annual popularity poll since 1973, publishing quarterly bulletins, and operating a members-only seed exchange that distributes lily seed by division.
The organization's technical platform is a WooCommerce-based online store layered on its public website, used to merchandise publications, the 50 Years DVD compilation, seed sales by division, advertising, and most recently virtual education sessions delivered via Zoom at $10–$15 each. Revenue mechanics rest on a tiered membership program — Junior ($15), Individual ($30–$42), Household ($40–$42), Sustaining ($75–$100), Life ($600–$780), and Household Life ($1,000) — supplemented by merchandise, advertising in bulletins, and event fees. A Research Trust Fund underwrites lily research, and the society's 2026 Virtual NALS Show signals a continuing shift toward digital program delivery alongside the federation of regional in-person events.
Lily Care firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lily Care
- Legal name
- North American Lily Society
- Website
- https://lilies.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- A nonprofit educational society founded in 1947 and headquartered in Marion, North Carolina, serving lily enthusiasts, growers, and breeders across North America through tiered memberships, publications, a seed exchange, virtual education, and annual lily shows.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lily Care business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: NALS generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues, with various tiers including individual, junior, life, and household memberships. Membership terms run from January 1 to December 31.
- Publications Sales: Sale of yearbooks, quarterly bulletins, and specialized publications including 'Let's Grow Lilies', 'Lily Disease Handbook', 'Martagon Lilies', and 'Showing Lilies' handbook. Yearbooks date back to 1947 and are available in digital or hardbound formats.
- Seed Exchange: Members can purchase lily seeds through the NALS Seed Exchange, offering hybrid and species lily seeds at nominal costs to defray expenses. Seeds are donated by members.
- Seed Sales by Division: Seeds are categorized by lily division (I-IX) and sold per packet, with 2026 offerings including 73 Division I seeds, 11 Division II seeds, and seeds available for divisions III-IX.
- DVD Sales: Sale of DVD containing digital facsimiles of the first fifty volumes of Yearbooks, with over 6,800 pages of lily information, priced at $100.00.
- Advertising Revenue: NALS Quarterly Bulletins accept advertising, allowing businesses to reach members interested in gardening products and Lilium-specific products and services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual annual membership with flexible pricing based on membership type |
| Subscription | Annual | Youth membership for members under age 18 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Lifetime individual membership with one-time payment |
| Subscription | Annual | Sustaining membership for supporters |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Household lifetime membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Regional society affiliation membership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | NALS publications including yearbooks and other lily resources |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Virtual education sessions registration |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Lily Care product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The North American Lily Society (NALS) is a nonprofit educational organization that promotes interest in the genus Lilium through annual membership, four color Quarterly Bulletins, hardbound Yearbooks published since 1947, specialty handbooks, a member-only Seed Exchange offering rare lilium seeds, an Annual Meeting and Lily Show, virtual education programs, a lending library, and grants from its Research Trust Fund supporting lily research worldwide.
Product overview
The North American Lily Society offers a portfolio of publications, events, and member services centered on the genus Lilium. Core offerings include Quarterly Bulletins (4 issues annually), hardbound Yearbooks published since 1947, and specialty publications such as 'Let's Grow Lilies!', the 'Lily Disease Handbook', 'Showing Lilies', and 'Martagon Lilies'. The society also maintains a Seed Exchange for members and organizes an Annual Meeting and Lily Show, plus a Virtual Education Series. A DVD containing 50 years of Yearbooks (6,800+ pages) is also available. The society was organized in 1947 to promote interest in lilies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quarterly Bulletins Four color quarterly bulletins issued in March, June, September, and December containing articles of interest about lilies, Society news, and lily show information, available to NALS members.
- NALS Yearbooks Hard-bound yearbooks published since 1947 containing articles about Lilium species, culture, propagation, growing from seed, hybridizing, tissue culture, pests and diseases, authored by experts worldwide; available bound or in digital format.
- Let's Grow Lilies! A 48-page illustrated handbook of lily culture covering planting bulbs, garden placement, care, growing from seed, and propagation, updated in 2011 with a color photo section; included with new membership.
- Lily Disease Handbook A 32-page well-illustrated handbook by Edward A. McRae helping home gardeners recognize, understand, and control lily diseases; priced at $10.00.
- Showing Lilies: A Handbook for Judges and Exhibitors A 90-page manual for judges, exhibitors, and show committees, edited by Eugene Fox and Maureen Barber; completely revised in 2006 covering lily showing and judging.
- Martagon Lilies A book by Eugene Fox on martagon lilies, priced at $30.00 and described as a superb book that all lily growers should own.
- 50 Years of NALS Yearbooks on DVD DVD containing digital facsimiles of the first fifty volumes of the Yearbook, with over 6,800 pages of lily information; priced at $100.00.
- Seed Exchange A seed exchange for NALS members offering seed from hybrid and species lilies, providing access to rare and unusual seeds not obtainable elsewhere; all seed is donated by members and sold at nominal cost, organized by lily division.
- Annual Meeting and Lily Show Annual event hosted by regional lily societies featuring cut flower shows with hundreds of stems, informational meetings, and social gatherings for NALS members.
- Virtual Education Series Virtual education series via live Zoom sessions covering garden lilies from seed to flower, including seed selection, planting, care, and showing single flowers; priced at $10 USD for members and $15 USD for non-members.
Quantifiable outcome
- Seed exchange provides access to rare lily species and hybrids from around the world
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Lily Care
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Lily Care technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Lily Care partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Alberta Regional Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society in Canada (Edmonton, AB) promoting lily cultivation in Alberta. Part of NALS regional network offering local shows, garden tours, and bulb sales.
- Canadian Prairie Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society based in Hepburn, SK, serving prairie lily growers with local events and educational programming.
- Manitoba Regional Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society representing Manitoba, Canada, participating in NALS network of regional lily societies.
- Ontario Regional Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society serving Ontario lily growers with local programming and NALS participation.
- South Saskatchewan Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society in Regina, SK, supporting lily enthusiasts in southern Saskatchewan.
- Victoria Regional Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society in British Columbia serving Vancouver Island and surrounding areas.
- Mid Atlantic Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society serving the Mid-Atlantic United States (PA area) with local shows and education.
- Michigan Regional Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society serving Michigan with Facebook presence and local programming.
- New England Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society serving New England (MA area) with local events and education.
- North Star Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society in Minnesota that also produced the Martagons! CD compilation. Key contributor to NALS resources.
- Ozark Regional Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society serving Missouri and the Ozark region with local lily events.
- Potomac Lily SocietycoreAffiliated regional society serving Virginia and DC area with local programming and shows.
- Garden Club of VirginiaminorAffiliated organization with dedicated Lily Committee that participates in NALS activities and promotes lily cultivation.
- North Star Regional Lily Society - Martagons! CDminorCollaborative project compiling 300+ photos and articles about martagon species, hybrids, and seedlings. Original CD now available online through NALS website.
- Royal Horticultural Society Lily GroupminorInternational partner organization based in the UK, listed as a resource for global lily society connections.
- New Zealand Lily SocietyminorInternational partner whose president Rex Lyes contributes to NALS virtual education on judging single flowers.
- European Lily SocietyminorInternational partner organization serving European lily enthusiasts.
- Danish Iris and Lily SocietyminorInternational partner from Denmark serving iris and lily enthusiasts.
- Czech Lily SocietyminorInternational partner from Czech Republic focused on martagon lilies.
- South Australian Lilium and Bulb SocietyminorInternational partner from Australia serving bulb and lily enthusiasts.
- North-West Tasmanian Lilium Society Inc.minorInternational partner from Tasmania, Australia focused on lilium cultivation.
- Auckland Lily SocietyminorInternational partner from New Zealand serving Auckland region lily growers.
- RHS Lily RegistryminorRoyal Horticultural Society Lily Registry supplement available for download through NALS website, supporting cultivar registration.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lily Care competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Perennial Plant Association: U.S.-based trade and professional association for perennial horticulture, with publications, symposia, and member education. Broader in scope than NALS but overlaps on perennial bulb/lily education and industry representation.
- Garden Club of America: U.S. horticultural and civic gardening organization with publications, judged flower shows, and educational programming. Broader civic-gardening scope but overlaps on judged lily shows and horticultural education.
- American Horticultural Society: U.S.-based broad horticultural membership organization offering publications, awards, and education across all ornamental plants. Overlaps with NALS on member-driven horticultural education but covers a much wider plant taxonomy.
Direct peers
- North American Rock Garden Society: Specialty plant society with regional chapters, seed exchange, judged shows, and quarterly publications. Directly comparable membership-driven horticultural society model serving alpine and rock garden enthusiasts.
- Species Iris Group of North America (SIGNA): Specialty group focused on species iris, operating seed exchanges, publications, and member education. Closely parallel organization in mission and member services to NALS.
- Hardy Plant Society of Oregon: Regional specialty plant society with publications, seed exchange, judged shows, and educational meetings. Comparable regional-scale plant society model with overlapping member services.
- American Dahlia Society: U.S. specialty society for dahlia growers offering publications, judged shows, regional branches, and tuber exchange. Closely mirrors NALS's structure and member services for a different flowering genus.
- American Iris Society: U.S.-based specialty plant society for iris enthusiasts, operating with regional chapters, publications, judged shows, and a member-donated rhizome/seed exchange. Highly comparable operating model to NALS, focused on a specific flowering genus with parallel member services.
- Pacific Bulb Society: Specialty bulb-focused society serving enthusiasts of Lilium and related genera. Overlaps with NALS in bulb cultivation content, seed/bulb exchange, and member education in a directly comparable niche.
- Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group: UK-based lily-focused subgroup of the Royal Horticultural Society that is already a documented partner of NALS. Direct parallel organization in mission, publications, and cultivar registration.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lily Care social profiles
Digital presenceLily Care financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lily Care leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lily Care funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lily Care M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lily Care
What does Lily Care do?
The North American Lily Society (NALS) is a nonprofit educational organization that promotes interest in the genus Lilium through annual membership, four color Quarterly Bulletins, hardbound Yearbooks published since 1947, specialty handbooks, a member-only Seed Exchange offering rare lilium seeds, an Annual Meeting and Lily Show, virtual education programs, a lending library, and grants from its Research Trust Fund supporting lily research worldwide.
Is Lily Care a public or private company?
Lily Care is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Lily Care founded?
Lily Care was founded in 1947. It employs 11 to 50 people.
How does Lily Care make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are publications Sales, seed Exchange, seed Sales by Division, DVD Sales and advertising Revenue.
Who are Lily Care's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Perennial Plant Association, Garden Club of America and American Horticultural Society. Direct peers are North American Rock Garden Society, Species Iris Group of North America (SIGNA), Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, American Dahlia Society, American Iris Society, Pacific Bulb Society and Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group.
Does Lily Care have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lily Care.