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Lilium candidum - L.

Madonna Lily

Author	L.	Botanical references	50, 200
Family	Liliaceae	Genus	Lilium
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	S.W. Asia. Naturalized in Europe around the Mediterranean.
Habitat	Rocky slopes and in scrub to 600 metres[50, 90].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 1m by 0.25m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root.

Bulb - cooked. The raw bulb contains an acrid principle, but this is destroyed by drying or thorough heating[4]. When cooked the bulb is pulpy, sweet and sugary[4]. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Astringent; Demulcent; Emmenagogue; Emollient; Expectorant.

The Madonna lily has a long history of herbal use, though it is seldom employed in modern herbalism because of its scarcity[238]. The bulb and the flowers are astringent, highly demulcent, emmenagogue, emollient and expectorant[4, 7, 238]. The plant is mainly used externally, being applied as a poultice to tumours, ulcers, external inflammations etc[4, 238]. The bulb is harvested in August and can be used fresh or dried[4, 238]. The flowers are harvested when fully open and used fresh for making juice, ointments or tinctures[238]. The pollen has been used in the treatment of epilepsy[240].

Other Uses

Essential.

An essential oil from the flowers is used in perfumery[4, 61].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers are strongly scented, like heather honey, though the plant does not flower well in all gardens.

Cultivation details

Prefers an open free-draining humus-rich fertile loamy soil with its roots in the shade and its head in the sun[90, 200]. Prefers a sunny position[143] but also succeeds in shade[163]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. Grows well in acid[42] and limy soils[4, 42, 47, 90], though it prefers a limey soil[200]. A very ornamental plant[1, 7]. It is seen as a symbol of purity and in Christian tradition is devoted to the Virgin Mary, in pre-Christian times it was sacred to Juno, the Goddess of heaven[238]. The flowers have a scent of heather honey[245]. The Madonna lily is generally very hardy and easy to grow[143] but it is unpredictable and does not grow or flower well in all gardens[90, 238]. It is also susceptible to botrytis[143]. Only just cover the bulb with soil[47, 200]. It is best to leave the clumps undisturbed since they resent being moved[143, 238], but if you need to transplant then this is best done in late August to early September, certainly no later than mid-October[143]. Plants produce a basal rosette of over-wintering leaves in the autumn[200], these die off as the plant comes into flower[188]. The plant should be protected against rabbits and slugs in early spring. If the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour[200].

Propagation

Seed - immediate epigeal germination[130]. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. Should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks[163]. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people prefer to leave them in the seed pot until they die down at the end of their second years growth. This necessitates sowing the seed thinly and using a reasonably fertile sowing medium. The plants will also require regular feeding when in growth. Divide the young bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant[K]. Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately[200]. Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbs in early autumn. If they are kept in a warm dark place in a bag of moist peat, they will produce bulblets. These bulblets can be potted up and grown on in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out[200]. Bulblets are formed on the stem just below the soil surface. These should be dug up in the autumn and replanted immediately, preferably in a cold frame for growing on until large enough to plant out into the garden[143, 163]. The formation of bulbils on the stem can be induced by either removing the stem at flowering time and layering it just below the soil surface, or by removing all the flowers before they open.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Ornamental Plants.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[47] Fox. D. Growing Lilies. Croom Helm 1985
A lovely and very readable book dealing with the cultivation of the genus Lilium.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[130] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. Royal Horticultural Society 1982
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants, including Distylium racemosum and some perennial members of the family Berberidaceae.

[143] Woodcock. and Coutts. Lilies - Their Culture and Management. Country Life 1935
A classic, but dated. Deals with the genus Lilium.

[163] RHS Lily Group. Lilies and Related Plants. 0
Lots of interesting snippets about plants in the family Liliaceae (in the old, broad sense)

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Lilium candidum

Dr. Yoram Gorski - Mediflor Ltd Mon Jun 29 2009

Dear Sir / Madam We are looking to purchase WHITE LILY ( LILY MADONNA ) Essential Oil or Absolute . Oil / Absolute / Aromatic Water We will be most grateful to any one who may tell us where we can buy those products . Thanking you for your kind attention Best Whishes Dr. Yoram Gorski Mediflor Ltd noy16@zahav.net.il

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