Lilium candidum. Maciek Godlewski. 20 june 2007. Wikimedia Commons.
I can hardly think of any non-hybrid lily as famous as the Madonna Lily. It is the quintessential garden lily for many parts of the Mediterranean world, and one of the most famous bulbs of the gardening world. This lily is named after the Madonna, the Virgin Mary, for its pure white blooms. Pious Catholics in the Mediterranean region gave this particular its semblance long ago, and it has since donned many a portrait and icon with the Virgin.
Like many lilies, it is a tall, straggling looking plant, crowned with five to six flowers white flowers with yellow throats on top of its stalk. Unlike many lilies, this one tends to bloom early, in late spring (May-June) and goes into a summer dormancy afterwards. This makes sense for a bulbed plant from the drier parts of the Mediterranean world (it is native from the Balkans to the Levant). Unlike other lilies, it is susceptible to disease and must have well-draining soil to be more resistant to these diseases. In more humid regions I have yet to see it grow more than a few years for this reason, and is best grown in drier climates. This lily is also not as cold hardy as many hybrids, further reducing its range.
The Madonna lily has a fragrance more similar to Easter lilies than the hybrids, but is muskier than either. It shares a warmth with the hybrids, but a depth like the Easter lily, and is a favorite of many. However, the musk can get carried away, rarely in a garden, but commonly in a warm and humid room. The musk comes on full strong and tends to wind up in the kitty litter direction without good ventilation. However, in the garden it is lovely as always where it will grow.
Fragrant Earth 