''Lilium columbianum'' is a
lily native to western
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
It is also known as the Columbia lily, Columbia tiger lily, or simply tiger lily (sharing the latter common name with several other lily species in its genus).
Distribution and habitat
''Lilium columbianum'' occurs in lowland and montane forest openings and meadows from southern
British Columbia in
Canada south to northern
California and east to
Montana in the northwestern
United States.
Mostly occurring below , it usually blooms in June through early August.
There are a few isolated populations at high elevations in the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
as far south as
Fresno County.
Description
''Lilium columbianum'' is a perennial herb that grows up to tall, and bears from few to numerous orange flowers with darker spots. The
tepals are 3 to 6 cm long and the flowers are lightly scented. Like many true lilies, the leaves are arranged in
whorls around the stem of the plant.
Uses
Food
Coast Salish,
Nuu-chah-nulth and most western
Washington peoples steamed, boiled or pit-cooked its bulbs. Bitter or peppery-tasting, they were mostly used as a flavoring, often in soup with meat or fish.
Horticulture
From seed, ''Lilium columbianum'' requires three to five years to mature. Cultivated bulbs can be divided or bulb scales may be used to generate new plants more quickly.
Gallery
File:Tiger Lilly Kyle Munro.JPG, ''Lilium columbianum'' flower, from a garden in Scotland.
File:Columbia Lily Buds (3630078580).jpg, Columbia Lily Buds
File:3rd Sun Peaks alpine visit of the summer...the Tiger Lily (Lillum columbianum)... (28429089550).jpg,
File:Lilium columbianum by creek.jpg, Lilium columbianum by creek
File:Lilium columbianum 3174.JPG, Lilium columbianum anthers
File:Lilium columbianum in burned area.jpg, Lilium columbianum in burned area
File:Lilium columbianum 3942.JPG, The fruit is an erect capsule that is generally smooth and contains numerous flat seeds in six stacks.
File:Lilium columbianum pair withBud Swall.jpg, Lilium columbianum bud & flowers, at 7000 ft in Sierra Nevada
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q141828
columbianum
Flora of British Columbia
Flora of the Northwestern United States
Flora of the West Coast of the United States
Garden plants of North America
Plants used in Native American cuisine
Plants described in 1871
Flora without expected TNC conservation status