| Tiger Lily is one of those common names used freely to describe many different kinds of lilies. It is also used to describe a plant that isn't actually even in the lily family. |
 Growing up in central Illinois we often referred to ditch lilies, or common orange daylilies, as Tiger Lilies. I'm not really sure why this name stuck, but ask an average Midwesterner what a Tiger Lily is and they are likely to point to a batch of orange daylilies which sequentially you could find growing in every other yard. While the name has been popular, daylilies aren't actually lilies at all, but belong in the plant family Hemerocallidaceae. So not only do they look nothing like a tiger, they aren't even a lily. go figure
The next contender on the Tiger Lily quest is the typical orange spotted Asiatic Lily. Ah, yes these beauties have the orange and they do sport the spots that would seem to be closer to the Tiger Lily lore, but I wouldn't say they are the real Tiger Lily either.
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| Typically the plant that boasts the Tiger Lily name the most and probably most deserving is Lilium lancifolium. This old fashion lily is native to Asia where it is cultivated mainly for its edible bulb, rather than it's striking flowers. In the United States this flower is grown as a naturalizing lily or it can be grown in the garden as a specimen plant.
The Lilium lancifolium flowers drop down from the tops of towering stems that can reach five feet or more. The petals curve back showing off amazing, rich orange color and dark black spots. Although this plant is considered an old fashion favorite in the garden it does come with a warning. Lilium lancifolium can carry a virus that could infect other species of lilies in your garden. So you may not want to include Lilium lancifolium in your flower beds if you also grow other lilies such as Asiatic and Oriental Lilies. |
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| Since these Tiger Lilies (Lilium lancifolium) are so hardy and seem to be less appealing to raccoons than their fancy, (tasty) hybrid counterparts I've been growing them for a few years. Although they are not fragrant, I love the towering display of flowers and being the penny pinching gardener that I am, I also love that they are so easy to propagate. Along the flower stalk little bulbs form under each leaf. Once planted in the soil these tiny little bulbs will continue grow into new plants that will bloom for years to come in your garden.
So in your opinion, who actually deserves the Tiger Lily title? The plant from the Hemerocallidaceae family, the bold Asiatic Lily or the Lilium lancifolium? After that mouthful I think we've discovered why they are all so loving referred as Tiger Lilies. |
North American Lily Society - The North American Lily Society (NALS) was organized in 1947 to promote interest in the genus Lilium.
Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group - The Lily Group is the oldest specialist Plant Society of the Royal Horticultural Society and is based in London, UK.