'Lilium occidentale'
(Species / Wild Lily)
One of the rarest of the Oregon/California border natives, Lilium occidentale can be found growing in dry sphagnum bogs. Its small, Turk's Cap flowers are orange-red blending to yellow-green centers. The spots on these lightly scented flowers are brown black. Very difficult in the garden, successful growers have found that it produces much larger flowers under cultivation than it does in its native landscape. Photo inset is of Lilium occidentale hybrid.
Once while photographing this rare species in a bog near the Oregon-California border, we were buzzed several times by a DEA plane looking for pot growers until we stood up pointing to our now highly held aloft cameras. The pilot on his next past gave us a wing wave and proceeded south continuing his patrol. Lesson learned? If you are going to grow pot in a dry bog in Northern California, carry a camera large enough to be seen from the air.
Photo inset #1 is of another flower from the same S. Oregon colony as our lead off photo. Copyright B & D Lilies, all rights reserved.
Photo insert #2 courtesy Wikimedia Commons credited to Bret Hanson coincidentally appears to have been taken in the same S. Oregon peat bog as our single flower habitat photos. Original photo was cropped. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Copyright Bret Hanson, all rights reserved.
Photo inset #3 shows face of L. occidentale. Copyright Gene Mirro, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
Photo insert #4 of the rare pink variant of L. occidentale courtesy of St. Mary's College of California. CalPhotos source. Copyright St. Mary's College of California, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
This page is for reference only, not as an offer to sell species bulbs or seeds.
One of the rarest of the Oregon/California border natives, Lilium occidentale can be found growing in dry sphagnum bogs. Its small, Turk's Cap flowers are orange-red blending to yellow-green centers. The spots on these lightly scented flowers are brown black. Very difficult in the garden, successful growers have found that it produces much larger flowers under cultivation than it does in its native landscape. Photo inset is of Lilium occidentale hybrid.
Once while photographing this rare species in a bog near the Oregon-California border, we were buzzed several times by a DEA plane looking for pot growers until we stood up pointing to our now highly held aloft cameras. The pilot on his next past gave us a wing wave and proceeded south continuing his patrol. Lesson learned? If you are going to grow pot in a dry bog in Northern California, carry a camera large enough to be seen from the air.
Photo inset #1 is of another flower from the same S. Oregon colony as our lead off photo. Copyright B & D Lilies, all rights reserved.
Photo insert #2 courtesy Wikimedia Commons credited to Bret Hanson coincidentally appears to have been taken in the same S. Oregon peat bog as our single flower habitat photos. Original photo was cropped. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Copyright Bret Hanson, all rights reserved.
Photo inset #3 shows face of L. occidentale. Copyright Gene Mirro, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
Photo insert #4 of the rare pink variant of L. occidentale courtesy of St. Mary's College of California. CalPhotos source. Copyright St. Mary's College of California, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
This page is for reference only, not as an offer to sell species bulbs or seeds.
