Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum)
On a recent walk I was surprised to see these Wood lilies. About twenty were in bloom over a ten square foot area. A power line runs through the woods here so a swath about 20 feet wide is kept clear of woody plants. Wood lilies need sunlight so a clearing like this is ideal for them.
The cup-shaped flowers are upright, a distinguishing feature of Wood lilies. All other wild lily species nod. The flowers have six purple-spotted petals.
Wood lilies are 1-3 feet in height. The leaves are long and narrow, arranged in a whorl around the stem. They grow from a bulb and are perennial. Tiger swallowtail butterflies are the primary pollinator of the Wood lily.
Our guest blogger, Julianne Mehegan, is a wonderful friend of MABA, a birder and a naturalist.