White Martagon Lily Lilium martagon var. album (Ixc/d)

☠ Toxic to humans

🐾 Toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Hard-care

ABOUT

The plant known commonly as Martagon lily or Turk's cap lily, specifically the variety 'album', is a striking perennial with a distinctive appearance. This plant is characterized by its pure white, nodding flowers, which are shaped like a Turk’s cap. The blossoms are known for their reflexed petal tips, which curl backwards towards the stem, creating a unique visual effect. Each flower consists of six white petals, often embellished with light pink or yellowish-green spotted markings. These spots are scattered across the petals, adding texture and contrast to the flower's appearance. The center of the bloom features a cluster of prominent, brownish or yellowish pollen-covered stamens, which protrude outward, adding to the aesthetic appeal. The plant's foliage is also quite notable, consisting of whorled leaves that encircle the stem. The leaves are lance-shaped, dark green, and glossy, providing an attractive background to the prominent flowers. The leaves' arrangement on the stem contributes to the plant's overall architectural beauty. In addition to its flowers and leaves, the plant is also adorned with slender stems that arch gracefully under the weight of the flowers. Although the overall size of the plant is not the focus here, it's worth noting that the Martagon lily has a clumping habit, which allows for multiple stems and flowers to emerge from a single base, creating a full and lush appearance in the garden.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Liliaceae
- Synonyms
  White Turk's Cap Lily, Martagon Lily
- Common names
  Lilium martagon var. album, Lilium album, Lilium martagon subsp. album.
Toxicity
- To humans
  White martagon lily (Lilium martagon var. album) contains toxic compounds that can be harmful if ingested. This plant is not generally considered highly toxic to humans, but it can cause discomfort and symptoms if parts are eaten. The primary concern is the presence of certain alkaloids and glycosides which, when ingested, can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In severe cases, eating large quantities could potentially lead to more serious effects, including heart rhythm disturbances or kidney damage, although such extreme reactions are rare. Handling the plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in some individuals. Care should be taken to prevent ingestion, especially by children.
- To pets
  White martagon lily (Lilium martagon var. album) is highly toxic to cats and can cause severe health issues if any part of the plant is ingested. In cats, even small amounts can result in symptoms of lily poisoning, which include vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, and dehydration. Left untreated, ingestion of white martagon lily can lead to acute kidney failure, which can be fatal. Dogs are less susceptible to lily toxicity but can still experience mild gastrointestinal upset if they consume parts of the plant. Immediate veterinary care is crucial if a pet ingests any part of this lily.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  White
- Height
  4 feet (120 cm)
- Spread
  1 foot (30 cm)
- Hardiness zones
  5
- Native area
  Europe

Benefits

General Benefits
- Ornamental Value: Lilium martagon var. album, commonly known as White Martagon Lily, is highly valued for its elegant, turk's cap-style flowers and is often used in ornamental gardens and landscaping designs.
- Habitat Support: Provides nectar and pollen for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, supporting local ecosystems.
- Drought Tolerance: Once established, this lily species is relatively drought tolerant, which can be beneficial in regions with water scarcity or for low-water gardening practices.
- Shade Tolerance: White Martagon Lily can thrive in partial shade, making it suitable for woodland gardens or areas with dappled light.
- Perennial Growth: As a perennial plant, it provides long-term presence in the garden, emerging year after year without the need for replanting.
- Cold Hardiness: The plant has a good tolerance to cold temperatures, making it suitable for cooler climates and extending the geographical range where it can be grown.
- Cultural Significance: It holds cultural value in certain regions, where it may be associated with local history or folklore.
Medical Properties
- This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Lilium martagon var. album, commonly known as white Turk's cap lily, can serve as a natural dye source. The petals can be used to create a soft yellow dye for fabric or materials.
- The sturdy stems of the white Turk's cap lily can be utilized in lightweight construction or crafting projects, as the dried stalks retain some rigidity and length.
- The crushed leaves and flowers of the white Turk's cap lily, when rubbed onto the skin, can act as a natural insect repellent due to the plant's inherent scent that is unattractive to many insects.
- Fine art photographers often use white Turk's cap lily as a subject for photographic studies due to its visually appealing symmetry and color, which lends itself to artistic compositions.
- The bulbs of white Turk's cap lily, being starchy, have historically been used as a source of paste or adhesive for paper mâché and other craft projects.
- White Turk's cap lily can be planted as a border flower to create delineations or patterns in landscape design due to its distinct shape and height.
- These lilies are often used in dried floral arrangements, as their unique shape and form preserve well when dehydrated, making them a lasting decorative element.
- Plant enthusiasts sometimes use the seeds of white Turk's cap lily in seed exchange programs as a means of promoting biodiversity and sharing unique plant varieties with other gardeners.
- Because of their elegance and uniqueness, white Turk's cap lilies can be utilized as natural decor for special events and weddings to add a touch of organic sophistication to the venue.
- Used in educational settings, white Turk's cap lily is an excellent example for botany lessons focusing on the reproduction and life cycle of angiosperms, due to its visible pollen and distinct flower parts.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The Madonna Lily is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The Madonna Lily is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Purity - The white petals of the Martagon lily var. album suggest innocence and cleanliness, mirroring the widely recognized symbolic association of white lilies with purity.
- Royalty - Historically, lilies have been associated with regality and power; the Martagon lily's grand presence retains this connection to royal symbolism.
- Renewal - Associated with rebirth and renewal due to its perennial nature, the Martagon lily emerges each year with renewed life.
- Prosperity - The full, abundant blooms of the Martagon lily symbolize growth and prosperity, often related to emotional or spiritual abundance.
- Transformation - As a part of the lily family, this variety may also carry the symbolism of personal transformation, linked with its development from bulb to flower.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

500 - 2500 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 3-4 years

Repotting

🌱️

Spring-Early Summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
For the Martagon Lily, water the plant thoroughly once a week, allowing the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings. During the active growth season in the spring and summer, they may require additional water, ensuring that you provide about one gallon per plant during each watering session. Decrease watering as the plant goes dormant in the fall and throughout the winter. It’s important to avoid overwatering, as this can lead to bulb rot and fungal diseases.
Light
Martagon Lilies thrive in dappled sunlight or partial shade. They are perfect for planting under light tree canopies or in areas that receive morning light but are shaded from the intense afternoon sun. Avoiding deep shade is important, as too little light can lead to poor flowering.
Temperature
Martagon Lilies perform best in areas with cool to moderate temperatures, ideally between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. They can survive in temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid placing them in locations where temperatures exceed these limits for prolonged periods, which could stress the plant.
Pruning
Pruning Martagon Lilies mainly consists of deadheading spent flowers to maintain a tidy appearance and redirect energy to the bulbs. Cut back the stems to the base after foliage has yellowed and died back in late fall. Prune annually, typically after flowering, and remove any damaged or diseased foliage as necessary.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
The best soil mix for the White Martagon Lily (Lilium martagon var. album) is well-draining, rich in organic matter, with a pH level ranging from 6.0 to 7.0. A mixture of loam, peat moss, and perlite or sand can create the ideal conditions for its roots.
Repotting
White Martagon Lilies should be repotted every 2 to 3 years or when the bulbs have outgrown their current container. They prefer not to be disturbed often, so frequent repotting is unnecessary.
Humidity & Misting
White Martagon Lilies thrive in moderate humidity levels, ideally between 40-60%. They can tolerate some variation but avoid excessively dry or humid conditions that can cause damage to the plant.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Use bright, indirect light, cooler temperatures, and ensure soil drainage.
- Outdoor
  Plant in dappled shade, ensure well-draining soil, and mulch in winter.
- Hardiness zone
  3-9 USDA
Life cycle
Lilium martagon var. album, commonly known as White Martagon Lily, begins its life cycle as a bulb, which sprouts in spring to produce a stem and leaves. Once the foliage has matured, the plant develops pyramidal clusters of nodding, white flowers with recurved petals during the early to mid-summer. After pollination, typically by insects, the flowers give way to seed capsules that ripen by late summer. These capsules eventually open to disperse seeds that can germinate to form new bulbs, continuing the cycle. During autumn, the above-ground parts of the plant die back as the bulb enters a period of dormancy through the winter. With the onset of favorable spring conditions, the cycle resumes with the bulb sending up new growth.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring-Early Summer
- The most popular method for propagating Lilium martagon var. album, commonly known as White Martagon Lily, is by scaling. This technique involves gently breaking off scales from the bulb in late summer or early autumn. The scales are then placed in a mixture of moistened peat and perlite and stored in a plastic bag at approximately 70°F (21°C). Over a few weeks to several months, bulblets will begin to form at the base of the scales. Once these bulblets develop roots and shoots, they can be removed and planted individually. This method is favored for its simplicity and effectiveness in producing new plants that are true to type.