Lilium occidentale

Western lily

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Western lily is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern coastal California near Crescent City and Humboldt Bay in coastal scrub, prairie, and conifer forest gaps at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces large bell-shaped flowers with distinctive two-toned perianth parts: red to maroon on the upper half and yellow to green at the base, creating a striking color gradient. Growing up to 2.2 meters tall with a spreading-elongate bulb, it develops 1 to 9 whorls of linear leaves along its stem. Its leaves extend 4 to 27 centimeters long, arranged in distinctive whorls with unwavy margins. The flowers are pendent, typically solitary or in clusters up to 13, with dull red or magenta anthers and perianth parts measuring 4.3 to 8.1 centimeters long.

Habitat: Coastal scrub or prairie, gaps in conifer forest

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: n NCo (near Crescent City, Del Norte Co. Humboldt Bay, Humboldt Co.)

California counties: Sonoma, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, Siskiyou, Mendocino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.