Species of the Month

Introduction: This month we celebrate the Easter season with a wild variety of one of the holiday's
decorative flowers, lilies. April's Species of the Month is the Columbia tiger lily, native to the Pacific
Northwest where I first encountered it.

My first Columbia tiger lily sighting

 Scientific name: Lilium columbianum

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Liliales (lilies)

Columbia tiger lily with neighbors in its community

Range: California to British Columbia, northern Idaho and northwestern Montana

Habitat: Open woods or fields with well-drained soils and partial shade

Diet: Sunlight and water

Conservation Status: No special protection

Like the others before, this lily is growing on a mountainside

Other Information: Bright and cheery flowers adorn this lily, which can grow to six feet tall with a
dozen blossoms, although it is typically only three feet tall. The stems droop so the flower faces
downward. Depending on elevation, flowers bloom from June to September. I discovered the tiger lily
in the Cascades, in a forest clearing along the trail. For a good portion of the year, those few plants I
saw are buried under deep snow. Alternate names include Columbia lily, Oregon lily, and tiger lily. I
prefer not to use "tiger lily", as I associate that name with the larger, decorative plant.
This week's information comes from USDA and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. All photos are
my own.