Are you looking for a “sure thing” in summer flowers? Or does a plant which challenges your ingenuity to make it grow have more appeal? You’ll find both among the native lilies of eastern North America.
About a third, or eight, of the lilies native to this continent are found growing naturally in the East. Of these, two species – the meadow lily, Lilium canadense, and the Turk’s-cap lily, Lilium superbum – are fairly common and readily lend themselves to garden culture. The other species are either relatively rare or, within my experience at least, are ticklish to grow in the garden. They may, of course, he more reliable under other conditions.
In late June or early July, the meadow lily is conspicuous along back roads and in out-of-the-way places. It is usually found in damp meadows with acid soil where it competes with other native plants, often sedges and grasses. Throughout the East it is primarily a lily of moist situations but there are upland forms which have been considered subspecies.
Meadow Lily Grows Wide and Redder
The meadow lily grows over a wide area, from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia south to West Virginia and over into the Mississippi Valley, south into Alabama. In the northeastern part of the range, the flower color is usually yellow with dark brownish or purple spots. Beginning at about the Hudson River, however, and extending southward and westward the red forms are more plentiful and more typical for the species. Clear yellow unspotted forms have been discovered and propagated sparingly. There are also plants with brilliant red flowers which can be grown in home gardens.
The meadow lily is the most beautiful of all the eastern American species. An eminent horticulturist and artist, looking at the lily from an artistic point of view, remarked that this was a lily aristocrat that was not ashamed to nod its head. Although it is classified as a martagon, the flowers of the meadow lily are bell-shaped with the perianth parts (petals and sepals) only partly turned back. Sometimes plants are found with flowers of a narrower bell-shaped form. These flowers resemble those of Lilium grayi, in which only the tips of the floral segments are turned back. This suggests that the two species are very closely related and the intermediate forms may be either hybrids or variations of a species not clearly defined.
Moist Acid Soils Preferred
Moist soils, somewhat on the acid side, are needed for the meadow lily. This statement may be challenged by some, but within my experience, this lily has failed on alkaline soils in the garden. And, soils from where it has grown wild have been analyzed as acid. The ground around the meadow lily should be shaded by vegetation. It will grow on the edges of woodlands and in partial shade, but it does not do well in dense shade. When the meadow lily is perfectly happy it will persist for years and increase annually through the branching of its rhizomatous bulbs. The bulbs should be planted about 5 or 6 inches deep.
The relatively rare Lilium grayi, which resembles the meadow lily very closely, may also be a good garden subject although it is not as attractive; I have had little experience with it. The flowers are smaller than those of Lilium canadense and do not open as wide.
Turk’s Cap – Lilium Superbum
The other easy-to-grow garden lily of eastern North America is the Turk’s-cap or Lilium superbum. This is a magnificent plant, often growing 10 feet tall. It is found in river bottoms and swamps or in wasteland with a good water supply. Dry-land forms of the lily do occur, but apparently there is always a good water supply. The range of the Turk’s-cap lily does not reach as far north as that of the meadow lily. It does extend farther south into Alabama and northwestern Florida. In some localities, particularly in bottom lands, it is found by the acre, competing with the normal river bottom vegetation. The color of the lily is usually orange-red with spots, although pure yellow variants have been collected by Mrs. J. Norman Henry and propagated as named clones. These are beautiful lilies, well worthy of the lily fancier’s attention.
The Turk’s-cap lily is easily recognized by its buds which are triangular in cross section, whereas buds of Lilium canadense cure round. There is also a green triangular area inside at the base of each of the flower parts, making a distinctive six-pointed star. As compared with the meadow lily, the flower parts are turned back much more, recurving until they touch the flower stalk. In this respect, the flowers resemble those of Lilium michiganense and Lilium michauxi.
I have found that the Turk’s-cap lily succeeds exceptionally well in partial shade on a north slope where the soil is moist and slightly on the acid side. It thrives when in competition with low growing shrubs and grasses. The Turk’s-cap lily is particularly effective against a woodland border and it thrives in the ‘same type of location as Lilium canadense, The plants in my garden are usually 10 feet tall or thereabouts with many flowers to the stalk.
Growing in Shade or Sun
There are other lilies with the Turk’s-cap type of flower, but they are few in number and not as well known. Lilium michiganense is recognized as a distinct species with a range of its own covering north central Canada through Minnesota, Michigan and south to Missouri and Kentucky. The flowers closely resemble those of Lilium superbum. Several of my attempts to grow this lily under conditions in which Lilium superbum and Lilium canadense have done well have failed. The reason may he related to the fact that Lilium michiganense will thrive on alkaline soils. Judging from its native habitat, it thrives best in full sun.
Lilium michauxi differs from Lilium superbum in that it is fragrant and grows in upland soil instead of swamp land. It should be planted in lime-free peaty soil. Lilium iridollae is a species brought to light when found growing in Alabama. The usually solitary flowers are pendulous. I am not personally acquainted with the cultural requirements of this lily.
Two very attractive lilies in eastern North America have upright flowers. The range of Lilium philadelphicum, the wood lily, extends far to the North and Middle West and into the highlands of the South. Lilium catesbaei is more restricted in range and is confined to the pine lands and acid swamps of Florida, Louisiana, north into Carolina. Both of these upright lilies have been very difficult to grow. In nature they occur on very acid soils, usually scattered about, not forming clumps. Lilium philadelphicum is probably the most northern lily in America, its range extending into the region around Hudson Bay.
Although it is sometimes called the wood lily and does persist in shade, it also occurs naturally in open, peaty fields in bright sunlight. Within my experience, the habitat of this lily has been strongly acid with a pH between 4.5 and 5.0 However, I have read that this lily grows in north and central Canada in soils that are distinctly alkaline. This suggests that possibly another form, adapted to alkaline conditions, might exist.
In this discussion about soil acidity, it should be kept in mind that what we call acidity is related to several different factors and that often so-called acid conditions do occur in soils which may have lime underneath. These acid conditions may be due to poor aeration or to the presence of iron or to other more complex factors.
Growing From Seed
The two most useful native lilies, Lilium canadense and Lilium superbum, can both be grown from seed. If the seeds are planted in the fall, however, growth will not appear above ground until the second season. A year can be gained by planting the seeds in flats and keeping them in a warm place until midwinter to allow for germination under ground. They should then be chilled until spring, at which time growth appears above ground.
The supply of bulbs of meadow and Turk’s-cap lilies is relatively abundant. The others are more difficult to secure. Caution is urged in collecting native lilies. It is quite possible to exterminate lilies from an area by taking all of the bulbs. No true garden lover would do this. Many of the bulbs sold in the trade are collected and, although this practice undoubtedly does diminish the wild supply, such lilies as Lilium superbum occur by the acre in some localities and extermination of the species is not likely. It should also be borne in mind that the botanist and the gardener are not the prime offenders in exterminating our wild flowers, but rather, cattle, the bulldozer or the plow, or more recently, chemical weed control. For some reason, deer seem to be particularly fond of the buds of Lilium canadense and I once saw a field where dozens of the plants had had their tops chewed off by the animals.
When they grow in the wild, eastern native lilies are not usually affected by the common lily diseases. In the garden, however. where they are crowded together they may be affected by mosaic, botrytis or basal rot, the three most damaging diseases of lilies. Mosaic can usually be easily detected and the infected plants rogued out. Spraying with bordeaux mixture to control botrytis is worth while if this disease is found to be troublesome. Since these native lilies thrive in competition with other vegetation, provided they are well supplied with moisture, they can be placed in locations where lilies have not been planted before and where the soil is free from basal rot.
The lover of lilies will find the culture of the meadow lily and the Turk’s-cap lily easy and rewarding. The other species offer a challenge to his ingenuity to provide conditions in which they will succeed.
by H McDaniels
