Wood Lily
Lilium philadelphicum
The Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum) is one of North America's most striking native wildflowers — an upright, fire-engine-red lily that stands like a flaming torch in woodland clearings and meadow edges across the northern United States and southern Canada. Unlike the nodding, recurved flowers of many lily species, the Wood Lily holds its brilliant red-orange petals in an open, upward-facing cup, as if offering its pollen-laden stamens directly to the sky and the butterflies that pollinate it.
• One of the few North American lily species with upright, non-recurred (funnel-shaped) flowers
• The vivid red-orange color is among the most intense of any temperate wildflower
• The species epithet "philadelphicum" means "of Philadelphia," though the plant's range extends far beyond that city
• Also called the "Red Lily" or "Philadelphia Lily"
• Important culturally for several indigenous peoples who used the bulbs as food
• Protected in several states due to collection pressure
• Found across southern Canada from British Columbia to Nova Scotia
• Extends southward through the northern United States, particularly in New England, the Great Lakes states, and the Rocky Mountain states
• Also occurs in the Appalachian Mountains as far south as North Carolina
• Grows in open woodlands, forest edges, meadows, and prairie remnants
• Found at elevations from sea level to 2,700 m in the Rocky Mountains
• First described by Linnaeus in 1762
• The genus Lilium contains approximately 80 to 100 species worldwide
Bulb:
• Small, ovoid, 2 to 4 cm in diameter
• Composed of narrow, white, fleshy scales
Leaves:
• Linear to lanceolate, 5 to 15 cm long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide
• Arranged in 1 to 3 loose whorls along the stem, with some alternate leaves above
• Dark green, smooth
Stem:
• Erect, slender, green, sometimes tinged purplish
• Bears 1 to 5 (rarely more) flowers at the top
Flower:
• Upright, funnel-shaped (not recurved), 5 to 8 cm across
• Tepals 6, brilliant red-orange to vermilion, spotted with dark purple near the base
• Inner surface yellow-orange toward the center
• Stamens prominent, anthers dark orange to brown
• Blooms June through August
Fruit:
• Capsule, oblong, 3 to 5 cm long
• Found in dry to mesic woodlands, forest clearings, meadow edges, and sandy prairies
• Prefers acidic, well-drained soils in sun to partial shade
• Pollinated primarily by swallowtail butterflies, which are strong enough to hover before the upright flowers
• The cup-shaped, upward-facing orientation is an adaptation for butterfly pollination
• Has declined significantly in parts of its range due to habitat loss, overcollection, and browsing by deer
• Often found growing with wild blueberry, bracken fern, and bunchberry
• Bulbs were an important traditional food for several indigenous peoples
• Requires mycorrhizal associations for optimal growth
• Plant bulbs in autumn, 8 to 12 cm deep in acidic, well-drained, sandy-loam soil
• Prefers full sun to partial shade
• Requires excellent drainage — bulbs rot in wet or heavy clay soils
• Mulch with pine needles or leaf mold to maintain acidity
• Protect from deer and rabbits, which browse both foliage and flowers
• Allow foliage to die back naturally after flowering
• Difficult to transplant from the wild — purchase from specialist native plant nurseries
• Hardy to USDA Zone 3
Fun Fact
The Wood Lily is one of the most thermally radiant flowers in the North American flora. Scientists measuring flower temperatures using thermal imaging cameras found that the upright, cup-shaped flowers act like miniature satellite dishes, concentrating solar radiation onto the reproductive organs at the center. On cool mornings, the temperature at the base of the petals can be several degrees warmer than the surrounding air — a welcome resting spot for butterflies, who benefit from the warmth while simultaneously picking up and depositing pollen. This "solar furnace" design makes the Wood Lily one of the most thermally efficient flowers ever measured.
Learn moreComments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
