Maria Bardini-Perkins wrote, “On a walk with a friend we came across a meadow filled with colonies of the beautiful California native Tiger Lily. The number and bright color of them took us by surprise!”
Lilium pardalinum are also called Leopard Lilies. Promise me you will never pick them!
Thanks to Maria for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Bob Rutemoeller recently photographed a beautiful Leopard lily, Lilium pardalinum. They are also called Tiger lilies.
You can see in Bob's photo that there is a bud in the background. This tall lily puts out multiple blooms. I have some growing near our place in Anchor Bay. They can grow several feet high. Never pick the flowers, though! They need to develop seeds in the flower head so they will grow again next year.
In my book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year, I have a fun fact about this native wildflower: It you smell a Tiger Lily, you are sure to get freckles.
Thanks to Bob for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Peter Baye recently photographed Leopard Lilies, Lilium pardalinum, a native wildflower.
This wildflower is usually found near water. It is also called Panther Lily or Tiger Lily. Whatever you call it, it is beautiful to to see in bloom.
Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Leopard Lilies, Lilium pardalinum, are wonderful to find. They grow on tall stalks and can have multiple blossoms. They grow where water is nearby. You might find some growing alongside the Gualala River.
Craig Tooley took this closeup of one. They are sometimes called Tiger Lilies. Legend says if you smell a Tiger Lily you will get freckles.
Frank Drouillard took the photo below, which shows a Leopard Lily about to bloom. It also shows the leaves. This plant was well over two feet tall.
Thanks to Frank and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To much more of Craig's Coast photography, here's the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com
The last of this year's Tiger Lilies are blooming on the Mendonoma Coast. Also called Leopard Lilies because of the spots they sport, they are a treat to find. Irma Brandt recently photographed several of these native wildflowers.
You should never pick this wildflower, as the spent flower forms a seed pod. Inside this pod will be tiny black seeds. When the pod dries up, the seeds are released. Hopefully a few will find a suitable spot to thrive.
Tiger Lilies are found near water. There are several small groups on our road in Anchor Bay that are growing near a neighbor's spring box. To see a Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeding on a Tiger Lily, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/07/05/california-tiger-lilies-are-blooming-on-the-mendonoma-coast/
Speaking of not picking wildflowers, it is illegal to pick any wildflowers on public land in the State of California. So look but don't cut!
Thanks to Irma for allowing me to share her photo with you here.