July Wildflower Spotlight:
Turk's Cap Lily
Turk’s Cap Lily
Turk's Cap Lily is capable of reaching the height of 10’. It is one
of the tallest members of the Lily (Liliaceae) family.
Turk’s Cap lily is a large showy plant usually bearing numerous flowers. As many as 40 flowers have been counted on a single plant. The flower, 2 – 2.5 inches across, is usually orange or yellow with brown or sometimes reddish white speckles.
Lilium superbum flourishes in filtered sun or light shade. It requires moist meadows, rich woods or marshes for its growth. It is sometimes called the Swamp Lily.
The plant’s bulb was used by the Native Americans for making soup and to season stew and meat dishes, which nearly drove the plant to extinction. Turk’s Cap has been making tremendous strides to stabilize in the last 30 – 40 years.