# Wood Lily (*Lilium philadelphicum*) The Wood Lily is a beautiful flower that grows in the wild. It has bright orange petals with dark spots and loves to bloom in sunny places during the summer. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 11 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Wood Lily](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lilium_philadelphicum_var._philadelphicum.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mason Brock ( Masebrock ), Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lilium_philadelphicum_var._philadelphicum.jpg) ## Appearance The Wood Lily has striking, upward-facing, reddish-orange flowers often speckled with dark maroon spots. Its bell-shaped petals curve back slightly, giving it a vibrant, cup-like appearance that stands out against green foliage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Liliales - **Family:** Liliaceae - **Genus:** Lilium ## Interesting facts - Each plant can proudly display up to six brilliant, upward-facing flowers at once! - Its flowers are often dotted with tiny, mysterious speckles, like nature's own polka dots! - This tough flower can actually sprout and thrive even after a wildfire burns through its habitat! - Wood Lily bulbs were traditionally eaten by Indigenous peoples as a nutritious treat! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Guides:** Wood Lily has dark spots on its petals that guide insects directly to the flower's nectar and pollen, ensuring successful pollination. - **Underground Energy Bank:** Wood Lily possesses an underground bulb that stores nutrients, allowing it to survive harsh winters and re-emerge year after year. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 5-8 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — gathers nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** [Eastern Tiger Swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-tiger-swallowtail) (*Papilio glaucus*) — sips nectar from the flowers - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — grazes on foliage and flowers - **Eaten by:** Meadow Vole (*Microtus pennsylvanicus*) — eats underground bulbs ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not pick flowers without asking an adult first, so they can keep growing. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Wood Lily? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Wood Lily? 30-90 cm ### How wide does Wood Lily spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Wood Lily? 5-8 cm ### When does Wood Lily bloom? Summer ### Is Wood Lily edible? Yes ### Is Wood Lily toxic? None ### What is Wood Lily's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Albany Pine Bush](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albany-pine-bush) — New York, US · Nature Reserve - [Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedar-valley-arboretum-and-botanic-gardens) — Iowa, US · Botanical Garden - [Gensburg-Markham Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gensburg-markham-prairie) — Illinois, US · Nature Reserve - [Glen Haven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glen-haven) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-earth-rettenmund-prairie-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Denbigh Experimental Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/denbigh-experimental-forest) — North Dakota, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Wood Lily](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wood-lily) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Wood Lily: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wood-lily)