Common names:
Columbia lily, tiger lily
Family:
Scientific name:
Lilium columbianum
Main flower color:
Range:
Northwest California, west Oregon, west and north Washington, plus far north Idaho and the northwest corner of Montana
Height:
From 1 to 4 feet
Habitat:
Sunny locations in woodland; moist areas, often near ferns
Leaves:
Thin, up to 4 inches long, in rings (whorls) of 6 to 9, at intervals along the stem
Season:
May to August
The handsome orange or yellowish orange flowers of the Columbia lily hang downwards (pendent) at the end of a green stem (single or branched); they are formed of six tetals (three petals and three sepals, identical in appearance), curved backwards to expose the six greenish-yellow stamens topped by orange anthers. Tepals have a few small, dark spots of purple or red. The plant is somewhat uncommon, partly due to specimens being removed for private gardens, but is found over quite a wide area, and ranging in elevation from sea level to 4,500 feet.
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