Lilium martagon, the martagon lily or Turk's cap lily, is a Eurasian species of lily. It has a widespread native region extending from Portugal east through Europe and Asia as far east as Mongolia.
Growing up to 3-6 feet tall (90-180 cm) on slender stems clad with whorled leaves, they are highly disease-resistant and perform best in full sun or part shade. Martagons are able to stand considerably more shade than most lilies, making them good plants for light woodland or between shrubs.
The martagon types do prefer calcareous (sweet) soils, but they can find a home in every garden provided some lime is added yearly to the soil. By the way: Trumpet lilies appreciate a dusting of lime on the soil as well.
Martagon lilies are fairly resistant to viruses and hardy enough to withstand winters in North American cli- mate zones 4, 3, and even 2. Late frosts after the plants come out of the ground usually do not interfere with the plant's ability to produce flowers, unless the temperature drops to near 20 F or lower.
Like all lilies, container grown martagon lily requires soil with excellent drainage. Rich, dense soil will rot the bulbs.
Lilium martagon, like many in the genus, is highly toxic to cats and ingestion often leads to fatal kidney failure
