Lilium superbum L.

Turk's Cap Lily; Lily Royal

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Turk's Cap Lily is a native herbaceous perennial in the Lily family (Liliaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Turk's Cap Lily occurs in rich hardwood forests, in floodplain forests, along streams, in seeps, and on wet roadsides. It is a perennial with a scaly bulb. New bulbs are produced on short rhizomes. Stems are 3-8 feet tall, green in color, and unbranched below the inflorescence. The leaves are in 6-24 whorls of 3-20 leaves per whorl along the stem. The leaves are elliptic to oblanceolate in outline, and glabrous. Flowers are produced in terminal racemes. Each raceme has from 1-22 flowers. Individual flowers are pendent, non-fragrant, with 6 reflexed tepals. The tepals are yellow, orange, or reddish in color and spotted with purple-brown spots. There is a green six-pointed “star” in the center of the flower. The stamens are long exserted with purple anthers. The fruit is a capsule with numerous flat, papery, triangular, black seed. Turk's Cap Lily is pollinated by swallowtail butterflies such as the spicebush (Papilio troilus Linnaeus), pipevine (Battus philenor Linnaeus), and eastern tiger (Papilio glaucus Linnaeus). Turk's Cap Lily is sometimes available from native plant nurseries. It prefers full or partial sun, rich loamy soil, and moist conditions. Deer heavily browse this plant, and squirrels and other small rodents will dig up and consume the bulbs. Turk's Cap Lily is listed as an S3 species in Alabama (typically 21 to 100 occurrences, limited acreage, or miles of stream in the state.) and globally as a G5 species (demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery).--A. Diamond

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Native FACW (NWPL) S3 (State Rank) G5 (Global Rank)

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