This is Lilium Candidum, popularly called, Madonna Lily. I first experienced this plant, (sight and scent), years ago when I was a seminarian and visiting the Biblical Gardens at the Episcopal Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York City. Since then and whenever I've had my own garden, I've tried cultivating Madonna Lily which can be a little difficult because the bulbs are ideally planted in July so they can sprout a tuft of green leaves before the frost. It's hard to find a bulb company that will comply, insisting October is soon enough. I disagree. Anyway, this year, cultivating my garden behind an enclosing wall and having found a company that would get the bulbs to me sooner than October, I've had success. The waxy flower and the pleasing scent are a delight. Here's the bulb company's description of Madonna Lily.
In cultivation since the time of Minoans, 1500 years before the birth of Christ, this lily probably reached western Europe via Phoenician traders. From there it quickly naturalized throughout much of the continent. The outwardly facing pure white flowers with yellow throats adorn tall stems in early summer and gently perfume the garden. Each stem holds 8 to 15 funnel-shaped florets.
I've written here a number of times over the years that prior to the English Reformation all the flowers of Europe had Marian associations — hence Marigold, Lady's Mantle, Lady's slipper, etc. Here of course, Madonna Lily refers to the Virgin Mary.
And here is a lovely image of the Annunciation painted by the Renaissance (16th c) Dominican nun, Sister Plautilla Nelli. The themes are traditional: Mary wears robes of blue and red. Her hands are folded across her heart. Gabriel's colored wings echo those of the archangel painted by Fra Angelico. And for our purposes, Gabriel carries Lillium Candidum (Madonna Lily) symbolic of Mary's purity. But if I may, Mary's purity is much bigger than sexual integrity, but an anticipation of Christ's beatitude- blessing, "Blessed are the clean of heart." Mary is the first disciple. She blazes the trail, going ahead of us who hope to possess clean hearts — hearts without hatred, authentic, generous, Christ-attentive hearts.
It pleases me to think
that when God imagined this flower,
God knew that it would one day be embraced as emblematic of the woman,
who with a clean heart,
fragrant with love,
would be the Mother of God's ever progressing Word
become one of us.
