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Lilium x marhan 'Mrs. R. O. Backhouse'

Mrs. R. O. Backhouse Lily

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 7216

Zones: 3a to 7b

Dormancy: Winter, Fall

Height: 54" tall

Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade

Origin: Hybrid

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


This lily hybrid (Lilium martagon x Lilium hansonii), winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, is a 1921 introduction from England's Robert Ormston Backhouse who liked this martagon lily selection so much, he named it for his wife, Sarah Elizabeth. The 4.5' tall stalk of Lilium 'Mrs. R.O. Backhouse' is topped in June (NC) with lovely pendent, golden-orange flowers that are heavily speckled with purple dots. The buds emerge pink, and the pink color remains on the outside of the petals after opening. We have had very good luck growing this martagon lily despite our brutally hot summers. Still, moist soils and cool sites are best.