Plants We Love: Turk’s Cap Lily (Lilium superbum)
Common name: Turk’s cap lily, turban lily, swamp lily Botanical name: Lilium superbum Virtues: Large, bright flowers with a distinctive shape. Blooms for about a month during the summer. Flowers:…
Common name: Turk's cap lily, turban lily, swamp lily
Botanical name: Lilium superbum
Virtues: Large, bright flowers with a distinctive shape. Blooms for about a month during the summer.
Flowers: The single main stem is topped with groups of 4-inch-wide flowers. Flowers are orange with dark spots. They face downward, with 6 tepals that curve sharply back and long dark stamens that extend below. The center of the flower has a green star.
Habit: Unbranched perennial to 7 feet tall. Grows from a bulb.
Season: Early- through midsummer
Origin: Wet meadows, swamps and woods of southern New England south to Alabama and Georgia.
Cultivation: Grow in full to part sun, in rich, moist soil. Once established it will tolerate some drought. May require staking. USDA Zones 4–7.
--------
Download our January 2010 issue, which includes the special section "Plants We Love: 50 Great Natives, Award-Winning Plants and New Introductions"
Find out how to propagate lilies and more with our Propagation download.
