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Taxon  Report  
Lilium parryi  S. Watson
Lemon lily
Lilium parryi is a perennial herb (bulb) that is native to California, and also found in Sonora, Mexico and Arizona.
California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~267 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Lilium
Family: Liliaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Wetlands: Occurs in wetlands

Habitat: riparian, meadows

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEF + CNPS + PLANTSLilium parryi var. kessleri
Information about  Lilium parryi from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (LIPA2)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia} Habitat, Range, Description, Threats: Lilium parryi, common name lemon lily, is a rare species of lily.[3][4][5] Lilium parryi is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico where it grows in moist areas in mountain habitats. In California it is currently known from the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains and a few remaining spots near Palomar Mountain to the south.[6] It is the only true lily native to Arizona, where a few populations can be found in the Huachuca, Chiricahua, and Santa Rita Mountains.[7] In Mexico, it has been found in mountains in the states of Sonora and Baja California.[2][6][8][9][10] Lilium parryi is a perennial herb growing erect to about 2 meters in height from a scaly, elongated bulb up to 11 centimetres (4+1?3 in) long. The leaves are generally linear in shape, up to 29 centimetres (11+1?2 in) long, and usually arranged in whorls around the stem. The inflorescence is a raceme bearing up to 31 large, showy, bright lemon yellow flowers. The trumpet-shaped, fragrant flowers have six curling tepals up to 11 centimetres (4+1?3 in) long, sometimes with a few reddish spots. There are six stamens tipped with large anthers up to 1.4 centimetres (1?2 in) long. The pistil may be 10 centimetres (4 in) long. The flowers are pollinated by hawkmoths,[11] especially Hyles lineata and Sphinx perelegans.[12] Threats to this species include grazing, recreation, natural flooding and human alterations in water regimes, and horticultural collecting of the bulbs and flowers. Lilium parryi was named for Charles Christopher Parry (28 August 1823 ? 20 February 1890), a British-American botanist and mountaineer. Idyllwild, California, hosts the Lemon Lily Festival, which celebrates this species.[13] (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/27/2024).