Tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium) |
Not so...
What did we do before information was instantly available on the internet, particularly on Wikipedia?!
The roadside plants we saw in abundance on our trip to Manitoulin Island are Orange Day Lilies (Hemerocallis fulva), called day lilies as the blooms only last one day. They are non-native plants, also originating in Asia, and are even not even true lilies. They have naturalized widely in North America and have many nicknames including ditch lily and tiger day lily.
Orange Day Lilies (Hemerocallis fulva) |
Orange Day Lilies (Hemerocallis fulva) |
All parts of the Day Lily are edible, and to quote Wikipedia,
"The flowers, leaves, and tubers of the orange daylily are edible. Leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked when very young (or they become too fibrous). The flowers and young tubers can also be eaten raw or cooked. The flowers can be dried and used as a thickener in soup. The cooked flower buds, served with butter, taste like green beans or wax beans.The tubers are a good potato substitute."
There is a native plant called the Canada Lily (Lilium canadense) but I do not recall finding one in the wild. I will have to look for it next year in June and July, but it is most commonly found on the east coast of North America and is threatened in some areas.
This is a pretty flower by any name.
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