The objective of this study was to examine the impact of corona discharge plasma (CDP) treatments of different durations (1, 3, 5, and 10 min) on the drying kinetics and quality attributes of lilies, including color, enzyme activities, total phenols content (TPC), and antioxidant activity. The microstructure of lilies under different CDP conditions were also investigated. As a result, all CDP treatments enhanced the drying rate relative to untreated lilies, and the shortest drying time of 7 h was obtained at CDP-3 minute samples. CDP treatment led to a higher retention in the TPC of dried lilies. Microstructural analysis revealed the formation of irregular micropores on the surface of the lilies after CDP treatment, which was closely associated with the accelerated drying rate and improved bioactive substances of the dried product. In conclusion, CDP has emerged as a novel and beneficial pretreatment technique that accelerates the drying process and enhances the nutritional qualities of dried lilies. •Corona discharge plasma application was tested as a pretreatment to drying of lilies.•CDP pretreatment markedly enhanced the drying ratio and rehydration ratio.•The CDP treatment did not demonstrate a competitive advantage in terms of preserving color.•The use of CDP increased the preservation of TPC, TFC and antioxidant activity in dried lilies.