Scientific Name
Lilium candidum L.
Common Name(s)
Madonna Lily
Synonym(s)
Lilium album, Lilium peregrinum, Lilium striatum
Scientific Classification
Family: Liliaceae
Subfamily: Lilioideae
Tribe: Lilieae
Genus: Lilium
Origin
Lilium candidum is native to the Balkans and the Middle East.
Flower
Color: White
Bloom Time: Summer
Description
Lilium candidum is a perennial plant with up to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall stems and glossy dark green scattered leaves.
The flowers are fragrant, pure white, trumpet-shaped, up to 3.2 inches (8 cm) long, and appear in terminal racemes.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 3a to 7b: from −40 °F (−40 °C) to 10 °F (−12.2 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Though lilies look like they'd be fussy plants, they are actually very easy to grow. They're not particular about soil type or pH, and they grow well in full sun, part sun, dappled shade, and even light shade.
Plant lilies as soon as you get them, either in the fall or the spring. Because the bulbs lack the papery covering (known as a "tunic") common to other hardy bulbs, they can dry out quickly in storage.
Even more than other bulbs, lilies demand well-drained soil. Dig the spot where you plan to plant lilies to a depth of at least 12 inches (30 cm), remove rocks and add organic matter, such as leaf mold or peat moss, to improve the soil's structure and drainage. Like other bulbs, lilies appreciate a little bone meal scratched at the bottom of the planting hole but do not really require other fertilizers at planting time. Instead, wait until the bulbs send up green leaves and then sprinkle a complete organic fertilizer around the plant and water it in.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Lilies.
Links
- Back to genus Lilium
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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