Description
Madonna Lily. They are found in Lebanon and eastern Israel, although it is assumed that the first specimen were found somewhere in the Balkans. The Romans took this flower with them as a sign of victory, as did the Crusaders in a later period. They introduced the Lilium candidum to Central and Western Europe. The stems carry lance-shaped leaves and up to twenty fragrant, outward-facing, wide funnel-shaped white flowers. The first leaves often appear in the fall.
BELONGS TO THE FAMILY OF LILIACEAE
Approximately one hundred species of the genus Lily are known. The number of cultivars is growing steadily and runs into the thousands. The species are found in woodland regions of Europe, Central and South Asia, extending to the Philippines and North America.
Many lilies are fragrant. The symbol of purity and innocence! They belong to the oldest known plants and are rightly elevated to the queens of beauty among garden plants.
