Turk’s Cap Lily
Turk’s Cap Lily Lilium superbum
While this plant is frequently and commonly encountered within the Blue Ridge Mountains, for those of us in the mid-Atlantic area finding even a single plant is rather more of a special event (in parts of the south I’ve heard it referred to by local folks as “ditch weed”!, a nickname that seems at least inappropriate for our location). For any of us fortunate enough to procure a plant and successfully protect it from deer the rewards are substantial.
Towering over most garden plants (8’+) it is topped with candelabras of downward facing flowers whose petals curl back up to resemble the shape of a Turkish hat (Fez). Prefers wet soil conditions with its head up in the sun, though is quite adaptable to partially shaded sites with average soil moisture.
Courtesy of Mark Gormel
Senior Manager of Horticulture
Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania)