Wood Lily

(Lilium philadelphicum)

 

   

 

Color photograph: Homer D. House. 1918. Wildflowers of New York.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum L.)

Identification: Flowers bright orange to scarlet-orange, upright and not nodding. Interior of petals spotted with black. Stamens projecting with dark anthers. Leaves whorled in eastern populations, but more scattered along the stem in populations west of the Appalachian Mountains. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Throughout North America except for the far western United States and Canada.

Habitat: Wood Lily is found in acid or sandy soils, usually in meadows.

Flowering period: June to July.

Similar Species: The upright flowers and bright red-orange color of the flowers will readily identify Wood Lily. Day Lily also has orange flowers, but the interior of the petals is not spotted.

Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc. 2003. All rights reserved.