Tiger Lily

The Tiger Lily (Lilium columbianum), also called Columbia Lily, is one of the West's showiest wildflowers — nodding, turk's-cap blooms of brilliant yellow-orange, freckled with maroon and swept back into elegant curves, over whorls of pointed leaves.^2, 4

NOTE: Native wildflowers are dormant (no leaves/flowers) Summer–Fall.

Edible & Medicinal Uses

Beneath the flowers grows a scaly white bulb — built of many small scales, like a loose garlic head — that is edible and pleasantly sweet, tasting of sweet chestnut. Traditionally eaten raw or, more often, cooked (steamed or boiled), it is valued as a vegetable across the Northwest. Cooked, the bulb takes on a smooth, creamy texture, and it's known for — and actually enjoyed for — a distinctive bitter aftertaste. The flowers are edible too. (Harvest thoughtfully — each bulb is the whole plant — and enjoy it as a special food.)^1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

A stunning garden centerpiece, Tiger Lily rises 2–4 ft and dangles as many as a dozen or more fragrant, spotted orange turk's-cap flowers in early-to-mid summer, beloved by hummingbirds and swallowtails. It shines in a border, woodland edge, or meadow and is beautiful with Chocolate Lily and native ferns.¹

Environment & Culture

Ecology: Native from British Columbia to California, Tiger Lily grows in meadows, forest edges, thickets, and roadside clearings from lowlands to mountains. Its nectar-rich flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds and large butterflies.^1, 2

Culture: The bulbs are gathered and eaten as a vegetable by many Northwest peoples, raw or cooked, sometimes as a flavoring. We offer it with respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.⁴

In the Kitchen

If you harvest a bulb, separate the scales, rinse, and steam or simmer them until tender — sweet and chestnut-like with that signature bitter aftertaste, they're lovely in a broth or stir-fry, or added to a stew as you would a starchy vegetable. The freckled petals make a striking edible garnish. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

• Native Range: British Columbia to California; meadows, edges, thickets¹
• USDA Zones: ~5–9³
• Light: Full sun to part shade¹
• Water: Moderate; moist but well-drained¹
• Soil: Rich, humusy, well-drained¹
• Habit: Bulb perennial, 2–4 ft; nodding orange turk's-cap flowers²
• Edible: Scaly bulb (sweet, chestnut-like) and flowers — best cooked⁴

References

1. Native Foods Nursery field notes; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Lilium columbianum.
2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
3. USDA PLANTS Database, Lilium columbianum.
4. Turner, N. J., Okanagan & Thompson ethnobotany; Wild Harvests.

Pot Sizing Guide