natural herbs
Columbia Tiger Lily
Lilium columbianum

Herb: Columbia Tiger Lily

Latin name: Lilium columbianum

Synonyms: Lilium nitidum, Lilium parviflorum

Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Edible parts of Columbia Tiger Lily:

Bulb - raw or cooked. The oval-shaped bulb is up to 5cm in diameter and is used as a vegetable in the same way as potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). Starchy, with a slightly sweet taste. The flavour of the cooked bulbs is said to resemble sweet chestnuts but with a slight bitterness. The bulbs were highly prized by various native North American Indian tribes and were used as a staple food.

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Bulb

Height:

150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:

July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Moist soils in woodlands, meadows, amongst ferns and amongst shrubs in sun or shade from sea level to 1500 metres.

Propagation of Columbia Tiger Lily:

Seed - autumnal hypogeal germination. Best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in spring. Stored seed will require a warm/cold/warm cycle of stratification, each period being about 2 months long. Grow on in cool shady conditions. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people leave them in the seed pot until they die down at the end of their second years growth. This necessitates sowing the seed thinly and using a reasonably fertile sowing medium. The plants will also require regular feeding when in growth. Divide the young bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant. Division in autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately. Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbs in early autumn. If they are kept in a warm dark place in a bag of moist peat, they will produce bulblets. These bulblets can be potted up and grown on in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out. Stem or leaf cuttings.

Cultivation of the herb: