Lilium martagon - Lily

The martagon lily is a protected species of southern and central Europe, mainly found in the woods and meadows of mountain regions. This species, long sought after by collectors, has magnificent flowers that are pendulous, rose-violet, punctuated with purple or brown spots. It may take a while to establish itself, but it is undemanding and hardy, and will faithfully flower each year once established.

Lilium martagon belongs to the family Liliaceae. This tall lily, whose stem can reach up to 180cm (71in) at most, is a symbol of the Alps. It grows in meadows, thickets, and mountain pastures. This plant is rare, although locally very present. The flowering, which emits a sweetish scent in the evening, occurs in June, July, or August depending on the climate. On each tubular stem, smooth and slightly purplish, up to 50 flowers bloom like small lanterns with six rose-violet tepals speckled with purple. At maturity, the tepals curl upward, revealing six beautiful orange stamens. The deciduous foliage is light green, and the leaves are spatulate with 7 to 8 strongly marked longitudinal veins.

You can associate this lily with non-invasive perennial plants as they appreciate having their base in the shade, along with beautiful ferns and yellow blooms, it is sublime. The martagon lily is ideal for borders, fresh rock gardens, and of course, bouquets. In nature, it is not uncommon to find it in the company of orange lilies. It is easy to reproduce this association in the garden. A true botanical lily, it is one of the exceptional plants that every collector loves to have in their garden. It has given rise to a line of equally remarkable hybrids.

The flowers of the martagon lily are visited at night by sphinx moths that hover in front of the flower, just like hummingbirds do. Its bulb is edible and is formed of oval, pointed, golden yellow scales.