Is it a Tiger Lily or an Orange Ditch Lily?

3/5/2018

Every year I hear people talking about finding tiger lilies along the roadside, but what they are really referring to are orange ditch lilies. While they both grow in similar locations and are both orange, they are distinctly different flowers.

Tiger Lily ©Nannette Richford

The tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium and Lilium tigrinum) produces clusters of bright-orange blooms speckled with black or crimson dots. The bloom faces downward with its petals folding backward to expose the center of the flower. Tiger lily blooms are long-lasting. Foliage lines the stem of the flowers. Tiger lilies reproduce via underground bulbs.

Orange Ditch Lily ©Nannette Richford

The orange ditch lily (Hemerocallis fulva) produces bold, orange blooms atop a slender stem. Although there are several buds atop each stem, each opens for only one day. As the petals shrivel and fall from the plant, a new bloom opens to take it's place. Foliage is grass-like and separate from the flower stem. Orange ditch lilies do not have spots. Ditch lilies have tuberous roots.

Tiger Lilies and Orange Ditch Lilies are both attractive flowers that can be found growing wild along roadsides in early to midsummer.

3 Comments

cindy lang link

7/16/2019 08:07:23 am

Would it be possible to clearly label which of these are straight native plants in Maine? "wildflowers" may be invasive as well as non-native plants. thank you.

lee

10/27/2022 09:56:11 pm

I find this very interesting. I see plants growing in the wild with characteristics of both. They are long lasting and grow from bulbs, and are speckled like photo 2, but grow in groupings along a slender stem. the foliage is also grass like. the bloomd don't face downward. I have grown up calling these 'fire lillies' but realize that they may be some cross of tiger and orange lillies?

10/27/2022 10:01:04 pm

i am in michigan, but the lillies were transplanted from seeds in new york (that probably originated from the virginias). but i also see local lillies in michigan (different from this type). im probably thinking of american lilies and firery belles.

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