Lilium columbianum flower in profile
Columbia lily is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Fittingly, this plant is located in UBC’s BC Rainforest Garden (was BC Native Garden in 2005), alongside the main path. If you are able to step in to the garden sometime in the next couple of weeks, be sure to stop by this plant and drink in the fragrance (the lilies are also starting up in the Asian Garden).
Dr. Richard Hebda, Curator of Botany at the Royal BC Museum, in a previously-posted page (now removed from the web) about Lilium columbianum wrote that the bulb of the plant apparently has a peppery taste, and was used by First Nations for flavouring, much like the modern use of garlic.
Photo note: I didn’t use the “flower photographer’s trick” of spraying with a mist bottle to produce water droplets; they were already there from afternoon showers.
I saw this on Refdesk next to APOD, which I look at daily. Very nice work! If you have room, amateur photographers such as I out here would enjoy knowing the tech details of the photos–I know enough to know that botanical macro work can be demanding even if one does have a spritzer handy…
Best wishes,
HWD
Fort Worth, TX
I’m a longtime fan of APOD; it’s an easy way to pick up scientific knowledge while looking at beautiful astronomy pictures a few minutes at a time. I hope this site can inform me just as well about botany.
Thanks Hugh – but I do have to let you know I consider myself an amateur photographer, too. I’m working on getting some image gallery software up and running, and that will include the tech specs for the photographs. I’ll share another tip right now though re: macro photos – the Wimberley Plamp. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to drastically increase success with macro photography. We ought to be renting them from the garden shop with all the photographers we’ve noticed in the garden this year…
And Mike, thanks – I hope we can meet or exceed the standard they’ve set!
Hello,
FANTASTIC SHOT !
cONGRATULATIONS…
Is this not what is commonly called the Tiger Lily?
Ruth Henry
Hello Ruth,
Sure, some people also call it tiger lily. Myself, I associate tiger lily with Lilium philadelphicum, so I chose to use the common name that closely matches the scientific name.
I just purchased some of the seeds for the ‘Lilium Columbianum’ today, in the hope that I can add it to my ‘native wildflower meadow’ I’m trying to get started. The instructions say to try sowing indoors in fall and keep warm for 3 months before moving outside. Do I need to keep it watered and in the sun while it is indoors (i’m a novice here)? Any other tricks on growing this successfully? – I understand it is difficult.
Thanks.
Krista
keep warm for 3 months before moving outside. Do I need to keep it watered and in the sun while it is indoors (i’m a novice here)? Any other tricks on growing this successfully
Krista, I have had 100% success with planting tiger lily seeds (lilium columbianum). In October or November you want to put them in a plastic bag with moist peat moss (not too wet!) Leave at room temp for 2 months checking every 1-2 weeks (rotating the seeds and giving them a little ventilation each time). After your two months are up put in the refrigerator for another 2 months or untill you see sprouting. (yes, they will sprout in the refrigerator)keep checking them every 1-2 weeks. once they start sprouting plant in seedling mix wiht extra sand or pearlite for drainage, some times they can get too wet and can rot. There it is…. I have about 1000 seedlings in my greenhouse right now! Works great and is more controlled than if you did it outside. K