Tiger Lily

Lilium columbianum

The photo above is one of my favorites, an impressionistic portrait of Lilium columbianum, but it was created quite by accident. It was taken back in the day when I used Fuji slide film, and I really don't know how I “screwed” it up. Normally I would have thrown out such a blurry photo in favor of one more sharp (as below), but I kept it out of curious fascination, wondering if I could duplicate the process. I swear that I wasn't drinking at the time.

Lilium columbianum

Lilium columbianum, our “Tiger Lily,” is native to western North America and specifically honors our great Columbia River. I even have it in my woods, along the little stream at the south end of the nursery property. My rivulet flows into the Tualatin River, and that into the grand Willamette which merges north of Portland into the Columbia.

The species was scientifically described by botanist Baker in 1874, and the beauty is pollinated by rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus), a wonderful combination of flora and fauna. Native Americans used the bulbs as food, and though the taste is somewhat bitter, it provided a peppery condiment to mix with meat or salmon roe. I have never tried it as it would seem criminal to harvest even one bulb. Horticulture is dominated by gaudy Lilium hybrids, but the pretty Tiger Lily is my kind of girl.