The Madonna lily is a bulbous plant with large, white, fragrant flowers that bloom in July or August.
The Madonna lily originates from the Middle East and has a long history. The maiden name Susanne comes from the Hebrew word for the Madonna lily Shoshan, which also means “beautiful flower”.
In Danish, the lily is also known as the white lily and St. Ib's lily.
Cultivation and care
- Lay the bulbs just below the surface of the soil – around 3-5 cm down
- The tips of the bulbs should only be covered by a thin layer of soil
- Madonna lilies, like most other lilies, should be planted as soon as the soil is frost-free in spring
- It is not necessary to remove the leaves before winter
- Madonna lilies are susceptible to the Boytrytis fungus and viral diseases that affect lilies
Soil conditions
- Slightly porous loam and well-drained
- Calcareous
- pH 8-9
Characteristics of the Madonna lily
- Bulbous plant
- Grows approx. 1 meter high (maximum 1.80 meters)
- Large, white flowers with 6 petals and long stamens
- Flowers have a strong and very aromatic scent
- Narrow lanceolate leaves
- Blooms in July/August in Denmark
- Sets a green leaf rosette that it overwinters with (unlike other lilies)
Geographical distribution
The Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) is a true lily that originates from the Balkans and Western Asia – primarily Persia and Syria. Today the Madonna lily is cultivated in Asia, Europe and North America. It grows wild on the aforementioned continents, but is relatively rare; it is only commonly found in the wild in Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
History and religion
The Madonna lily has been cultivated since ancient Crete and has had various uses by European and Middle Eastern peoples throughout history. The first records of the lily date back to the Minoans (a civilization that existed on Crete from 3100 BC to 1500 BC).
It is believed that the Madonna lily was brought to Europe by the Phoenicians (a Canaanite people who lived around the Mediterranean from 1550 BC to 300 BC) and later to Northern Europe with the Romans.
The Madonna lily was particularly influential among the Israelites who considered the flower to be the finest of all flowers and also used it to make perfume. In ancient Hebrew poetry, the Madonna lily was a sign of purity. The Madonna lily is also found 8 times in the Psalms of Solomon (part of the so-called Pseudepigrapha, a collection of Jewish writings written between 200 BC and 100 AD).
In Roman culture, the Madonna lily was also considered a sign of purity and innocence. Legend has it that it came from the Roman goddess Juno, who stood for women, motherhood, marriage and childbirth. Juno's milk dripped into the sky, becoming the Milky Way, and the drops that fell here on earth became Madonna lilies.
In Christianity, the Madonna lily is a sign of the Virgin Mary's purity and innocence, and is also often seen in religious paintings and pictures. The lily has also long been cultivated in European monastery gardens and is the most mentioned flower in the Bible.
The Madonna lily is also depicted on reliefs from Ancient Egypt and on an Assyrian relief from the ancient city of Nineveh.
The Madonna lily is also mentioned by other historical figures such as King Solomon, Pedanius Dioscorides and the prophet Hosea.
Historical use of the Madonna lily
Throughout history, the Madonna lily has had the following uses:
- The flower bulbs as a skin cream on wounds (as a plaster) and on sore, tired and aching feet
- Grated flower bulbs in a decoction of honey as a nourishing face mask for freckles and wrinkles
- Lily of the valley ointment in the woman's abdomen during childbirth
- Madonna lily seeds stored in wine against snakebite venom
- A relief from Ancient Egypt (more than 2500 years old) shows that Madonna lily oil was used in ointments here
- For shingles (Herpes zoster – a painful rash)
- For women's diseases
- Loss of speech
- Fainting spells
- Liver diseases
- Pain reliever
- Promotion of hair growth