Carolina Lily

Lilium michauxii
Adopted 2003

With a range that stretches from West Virginia to Florida, the Carolina Lily can found growing throughout North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. This drought-tolerant, native wildflower grows up to three feet tall and produces between one to four orange-red, purple-spotted flowers. The Carolina Lily is often pollinated by swallowtail butterflies and is the only fragrant native lily in the eastern United States. The Carolina Lily was named in honor of André Michaux, a French botanist who, in the 1780’s and 1790’s, explored the Southeastern United States.

photo: Zen Sutherland

Cool Links:

• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center [2] - information for gardeners
• North Carolina Native Plant Society [3] - growing conditions and lots of photos
• Distribution Map [4] - from Flora of North America, eFloras.org
• Feathered Fibers Carolina Lily Quilt [5] - not botanically accurate, but a pretty variation on a classic pattern.