Turk's Cap Lily in Tennessee Garden (photo by Joy Stewart, Bristol, TN)

 

Upwards of 1-12 flowers nod downward from 4-8″ long stalks branched along the main stem. Each orange trumpet-shaped flower is 3-4 inches across, with 6 tepals (petals) which flare outward and reflex backward toward the base of the flower. Tepal colors range from orange to dark orange and are marked with numerous brownish purple dots in the throat of the flower. Long reddish brown stamens extend from the flower, tipped by reddish brown pollen sacs.

Turk’s cap lily blooms in early to mid-summer for approximately one month. Flowers emit a slight fragrance. Pollinated flowers form seedpods filled with thin papery winged seeds. Below ground bulbs also develop  a few offsets which can be dug up and replanted.

Turk’s caps thrive in moist meadows and open forest lands in the U.S. They prefer full or partial sunlight (6-hours minimum) and an organically rich loamy garden soil. Established plants can cope with modest dry spells. Starting Turk’s caps from seed is slow, taking four years or more to attain flowering bulb size. This limits their availability in the marketplace.

The large showy flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and moths. Deer  consume aboveground vegetation and bulbous roots are relished by voles.