Lilium candidum

The most historic lily of all, this ravishingly fragrant, dazzlingly simple flower is pictured on Minoan pottery from 1600 BC and in countless paintings of the Virgin Mary. Roman, medieval, and colonial gardeners grew it for its herbal powers, calling it simply "the white lily." It does best in well drained, neutral-to-alkaline soil that's a bit dry in the summer, with winters that aren't too hard on its evergreen leaves. 3 feet, zones 6a-7bS(9WC)

Grown from Archibald's seed, these are a couple years old, and unlike most of the Dutch stock, which caries a huge virus load, appear virus free. Candidum is unusual, in autumn if forms an evergreen basal rosette of strap shaped leaves, which send up a scape of 10-20 pure white, funnel shaped fragrant flowers in spring Zone 4

Very much unlike most other other Lilium, L. candidum requires shallow planting, prefers limy soil and grows primarily during winter, forming a basal rosette of glossy, slightly wavy, bluntly lance shaped leaves. With longer days the stem lengthens and by late spring terminates in an elegant bunch of outward facing, 10cm, virgin white, classically shaped Lilium flowers, for which it has been cultivated for millennia. The entire plant sensibly retreats to a scaly underground bulb with the onset of summer heat, usually not before shedding it's flat papery seeds which will germinate in unlikely but apparently suitable locations the following winter. From Greece, Eastwards into Asia it is ideally suited to our Mediterranean climate, not suffering malaise and early demise as in the East, requiring little if any summer irrigation and is one of the few Lilies that will thrive in the alkaline soil close to the coast. For a sunny but sheltered position, possibly amongst low shrubs or other plants, with good drainage, though tolerant of clay if not kept moist in summer.