Sometimes, in a congested garden like mine, plants get overlooked. That is, until they announce their presence by blooming, spreading like weeds or exuding a bad odor. My little white Turk’s cap lily—Lilium martagon var. ‘Album’—was one of those overlooked plants. I think I planted it last year in a burst of whimsy. It was also an act of faith, since martagons haven’t always prospered in my little slice of horticultural heaven.
In any event, the act of faith was short-lived and I forgot all about the poor little martagon, living its cloistered existence behind the blueberry bush. Then, a few days ago, I saw a patch of white and there it was—standing about eighteen inches tall, with a large handful of pure white Turk’s caps dangling from its stems. I remembered it, I rejoiced in it and I even took its picture. The only thing I didn’t do was post the picture to Instagram. Maybe next week…
In any event, the sight of such perfection rekindled my love affair with martagon lilies.
If you don’t know martagons, you should. Unlike their flashier kin in the true lily or Liliaceae family, martagon blooms are small, perhaps one to one and a half inches wide when fully open. Instead of facing the world with boldly upturned trumpet faces, martagons dangle like bells from short pedicels or flower stems, facing demurely downwards. When the flowers are fully open, the petals are reflexed or curved backwards so that the whole flower resembles a turban or “Turk’s cap.” The species name, “martagon,” in fact, comes from the Latin for “turban”.
Martagons make up for their lack of boldness with an abundance of flowers. A happy, mature plant will bear twenty or more flowers in early summer. “Happy” is the key word, here, as martagons, though not big-headed prima donnas, can be fussy.
The good news is that they thrive in full sun to partial shade. They seem to do almost better with a little shade, because they prefer conditions on the cool side. The plants abhor the kind of heavy clay soil that pervades my garden. If you, like me, are blessed with this kind of gluey, water- retentive earth, amend it with sand, grit or fine gravel before planting your martagon bulbs.
Martagons also like to be sheltered from cold winds, strong storms and other weather-related perils. Mine is protected by a rather rustic fence. More fortunate people, like twentieth century writer/garden maven Vita Sackville West, with the benefit of mellow old brick walls, can shelter their martagons in style. You may want to shelter them from deer as well, if you have members of the extended Antlers family in your area. Mr. Antlers and his relatives have ignored my martagons, the better to decimate my showy ‘Black Beauty’ lilies. However, that is no guarantee that deer find martagons distasteful. It is better to err on the side of caution and either fence or spray your martagons.
The species, Lilium martagon, originated in Europe and western Asia and arrived in England in about 1596. In the wild, it can grow up to six feet tall, producing what is characterized in Hortus Third as “disagreeably scented” flowers that are “purple and spotted with black.” This does not sound like a winning combination. However, my martagon, the ‘Album’ variety, is a lovely, pristine white with no discernible scent.
Hybridizers have crossed Lilium martagon with the related Japanese Turk’s cap—Lilium hansonii—and come up with martagon hybrids that expand the color range to include shades of yellow, orange and red. Some are also fragrant. I love ‘Mrs. Backhouse,’ with its peach Turk’s caps. It sulks in my garden, but perhaps it is just in need of relocation and a bit of added grit. Other available martagon hybrid varieties include ‘Chameleon’, with soft pink flowers; golden ‘Gay Bird’ and reddish-brown ‘Manitoba Morning’.
Martagons are among the first lilies of summer, the harbingers of delights to follow from the bigger, brighter lilies. They sometimes work as well planted in containers as in-ground and can be moved more easily to protected locations.
I sometimes feel as if any martagon that I plant is taking a chance on me and my garden soil. However, the results are worth the risk for both plant and gardener. Find your martagons at Old House Gardens, 536 Third Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, (734) 995-1486, www.oldhousegardens.com. Print catalog $2.00. Another good supplier is B&D Lilies, PO Box 2007, Port Townsend, WA 98368, (360) 765-4341, www.bdlilies.com. Free print catalog.