The Carolina Lily

Carolina Lily

WRITER/ Mary Bohlen

Discovering this vividly colored wild lily in the natural landscape around my home has afforded me unexpected joy. I wonder how I could not have seen it, and then one day notice a burst of orange and red in the mulched clearing beyond the bird feeder. There was a hankering to know more about this addition to my yard.

Straight from my front door is a clear view of bluish green ridges and Rendezvous Mountain. From my back steps peaks of the Blue Ridge Parkway etch across the sky. God has blessed me with being able to live in a pocket of natural beauty. With that has come an awareness and appreciation of the native plants and trees that surround me. Throughout the spring and into late summer I take time to look for wild flowers, a favorite pastime.

It was the first week in August of last year, two Carolina Lilies caught my eye. However, at the time I did not know what they were. The color was a mixture of sunset orange and copper yellow petals speckled with dark brown spots. With a few snapshots on my phone, I headed for the computer and googled orange wild lilies. It sure looked like a Tiger Lily, but no—Carolina Lily, the NC State Wildflower. Hurray. Happy moment for me.

This rare lily is named Lilium Michauxii for Andre Michaux, a noted French Botanist who traveled and explored the Piedmont region of NC and the southern Appalachians several times in the late 1700s. He wrote extensively about his findings which include not only the Carolina Lily but also the Large Leaf Magnolia and the Spear-Leafed Yellow Violet, all of which grow near my home. The history and journeys of this naturalist and collector is an interesting study.

In 2003, Stokes County Representative Rex Baker presented a Bill to the NC Legislature to adopt the Carolina Lily as our State Wildflower. This beauty can be found all across the state. It grows to about 18 inches tall. The yellow/orange petals flow backward like an arch and the center stamen droops gently toward the ground. The leaves are thick and fleshy.

The Carolina Lily grows best in well drained moist soil with rich organic matter and in partial shade. Morning sun is favored. Protecting it from deer, rabbit and voles will be a challenge. This spring I will watch for new shoots and place some sort of fencing around the plant to allow it to flourish without interference. Mostly I will leave it to nature, watching it grow and become a crown jewel on the landscape.

From Growing Wild Nursery located in Siler City, I learned the best time to establish the lily is spring and fall. Seeds from the pod can be planted after the plant becomes dormant. The seeds produce small bulbs but it may take several years before they begin to bloom. Bulbs from a mature plant can be separated and replanted. They will usually start blooming the next year.

Carolina Lilies can be purchased from the Nursery. Visit their website at www.growingwildnursery.com or give them a call at 919-200-2677.

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