Orange Tiger Lilies

 

 

My orange tiger lilies have been blooming for several weeks but are about to finish. These old favorites are common around old homesteads and are common pass along plants. I got my start from my mother who got hers from her mother. They are sturdy plants reaching 3-4 feet tall, and are one of the few plants that produce bublets (properly called bulbils) in the axils of the leaves. They are easily propagated from these and will bloom from such a start in 2-3 years. They can also be propagated like most lilies from division of the bulb scales. The specific epithet is Lilium lancifolium and it originally came from eastern Asia. It is regarded as a delicacy there and all parts of the plant are edible--except the pollen which is said to be toxic. All parts of the plant are toxic to cats, causing kidney failure. Go figure.