Lilium lancifolium Thunb.

Tiger lily

Tiger lilies are Asian, native to China, Japan, Korea, and the Russian Far East. Its incredible-looking hardy flowers make it a very popular garden flower in the United States, and it escapes cultivation often enough to be naturalized here.

Plants: Erect stems are 2½–6½′ (80–200 cm) tall.

Leaves: Lanceolate, alternate, 2–6″ long ⨉ ⅜–¾″ broad (6–15 ⨉ 1–2 cm). Small bulbils form in the upper leaf axils.

Flowers: There are up to ten flowers per stem. Flowers hang downward from above, and are orange with purple-brown spots. They have very prominent stamens tipped by large purplish anthers. Flowers appear from June to August.

Fruits: Capsules are 1–1½″ (3–4 cm) in size. Bulbs are 1¼–3 ⨉ 1½–3″ (3.5–8 ⨉ 4–8 cm), and ovoid. They typically have flat sides, often appearing somewhat triangular in cross-section.

Habitats: Fields, roadsides and lawn edges.

Edibility: Bulbs are edible when cooked, tasting a bit like turnips, and the flowers are added as an edible garnish to salads. (Don’t overdo the flowers though—the pollen is said to be toxic.)

Online References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Lilium lancifolium description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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