Why didn't I plant more martagon lilies?

Growing three- to six feet tall, the stately martagons and their hybrids come in many colors, including pink, maroon, mahogany, yellow, white, and almost black – many with speckles and spots. These long-stemmed beauties are long-lived – colonies have been known to survive 80 years or more – eventually forming large clumps with up to 50 buds on one stem.

Flowers open from the bottom up to reveal dancing clusters of demure, waxy, downward-facing blossoms. Martagons began life as woodland denizens, thus they are better able to handle shade, making them wonderful, colorful companions in hosta beds or woodland gardens.

Grown for centuries, still not well-known

I am constantly amazed by the fact that this wonderful plant continues to remain relatively unknown despite having been in cultivation for centuries. John Gerard, author of the famous Elizabethan botanical guide “Herbal,” mentions them in a list of plants growing in his garden – in 1596, no less.

True, they do not flaunt the large, showy blossoms or the intense fragrance of the Oriental hybrids; still, they have a subtle sophistication that their Vegas showgirl cousins lack. (And why didn’t I plant more of these glorious bulbs last fall?)

Though martagons are not difficult to grow, they require patience from the gardener. They may tackle the coldest winters with ease, but they are incredibly persnickety about being moved.

I sited my first bulbs in the wrong spot, and after transplanting them in the spring – definitely a no-no – they threw a hissy-fit and did not come up the following year.

It wasn’t until a full two seasons later, a time when I had just about given up on them, that they surprised me with a season of growth and some bloom … but I can honestly say, the ethereal blooms were more than worth the wait.

Betty Earl is one of nine garden writers who blog regularly at Diggin' It. She's the author of “In Search of Great Plants: The Insider’s Guide to the Best Plants in the Midwest.” She also writes a regular column for Chicagoland Gardening Magazine and The Kankakee Journal and numerous articles for Small Gardens Magazine, American Nurseryman, Nature’s Garden, and Midwest Living Magazine, as well as other national magazines. She is a garden scout for Better Homes and Gardens and a regional representative for The Garden Conservancy.

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