Pancratium maritimum L.
Amaryllidaceж
Sea Daffodil, Sea Lily, Sand Lily Lys de Mer French Giglio di Mare Italian Narciso das Areias Portuguese Pancracio Spanish
One of the more exotic members of the amaryllis family, Pancratium is found growing in sandy areas around the Mediterranean coastline. Strongly and sweetly scented, this small genus produces large white blooms in summer whose six petals frame the corona in the manner of daffodils; hence the name "Sea Daffodil." The flowers are borne in umbels atop 2' stems for several weeks during the summer months. Perfectly at home in a sunny well-drained location in USDA Zone 7 and warmer, the Sea Daffodil also makes an attractive summer blooming pot or patio plant. Use: border, pot culture.
The HAVATSELET HA'SHARON is mentioned in the Song of Songs (verse 2:1). It is generally accepted that this flower is identified with the Pancratium maritimum -- a bulbous plant with white, highly scented flowers which blooms at the end of summer in the coastal lowland. It symbolizes the flowering of the desolate land and its formation into "the excellency of Carmel and Sharon" (Isaiah 35:1-2).
Conspicuous in the late summer, when almost no other plants are in bloom, are the flowers of Pancratium maritimum, typical to sandy habitats near the Mediterranean coast. (photo courtesy of Department of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel).
A French stamp featuring Lys de Mer (Pancratium maritimum).