We have recently published ‘Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions’: i.e. tropical and sub-tropical regions. We rely on regular donations to keep our free database going and help fund development of this and another book we are planning on food forest plants for Mediterranean climates. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Lilium canadense - L.

Common Name Meadow Lily, Canada lily
Family Liliaceae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Wet meadows, moist rich woods especially edges, streamsides and river alluvia, bogs, marshes, swamps, along wet roadsides and railroads from sea level to 1000 metres[270].
Range Eastern N. America - Quebec to Nova Scotia, south to Georgia.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Lilium canadense Meadow Lily, Canada lily


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lilium_canadense_%28lit%29.jpg
Lilium canadense Meadow Lily, Canada lily

 

Translate this page:

Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of bulb
Lilium canadense is a BULB growing to 1.5 m (5ft).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root
Edible Uses:

Bulb - cooked[2, 105, 177]. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). The taste is rather like raw green corn on the ear[207]. The bulb can be dried, ground into a powder and used in making bread etc[257]. A famine food, only used when better foods are not available[257]. The bulb is up to 5cm in diameter[235].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Dysentery  Poultice  Stomachic

A poultice made from the bulbs is applied to snakebites[222]. A tea made from the bulbs is stomachic and is also used in the treatment of irregular menses and dysentery[222, 257].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

Shop Now

Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Prefers an open free-draining humus-rich loamy soil with its roots in the shade and its head in the sun[200]. Dislikes lime[42]. The sub-species L. canadense editorum is said to be lime tolerant[163, 200]. Does well in open woodland[1, 143]. Succeeds in partial shade but rapidly degenerates when grown in deep shade[143]. The dormant bulbs are very hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -10°c[214]. Stoloniferous[200], the bulbs should be planted 15 - 25cm deep[143]. Only replant in autumn, never in spring[143]. A very ornamental[1] and easily grown plant[143]. The species is not easy to grow in Europe[90]. Polymorphic, there are a number of sub-species[143]. It hybridizes in nature with L. superbum but it does not hybridize readily in the garden[143]. Closely allied to L. michiganense[143]. The plant should be protected against rabbits and slugs in early spring. If the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour[200]. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread [1-2]. The root pattern is a bulb. The root pattern is stoloniferous rooting from creeping stems above the ground [1-2].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

Shop Now

Plant Propagation

Seed - delayed hypogeal germination[130]. Best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in spring[143]. Stored seed will require a warm/cold/warm cycle of stratification, each period being about 2 months long[163]. 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[K]. Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately[200]. 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[200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada, Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick, United States, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia,

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Lilium amabile Bulb1.0 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium auratumGolden-Rayed LilyBulb1.8 5-9  LMSNM30 
Lilium browniiHong Kong LilyBulb1.2 4-8  LMSNM32 
Lilium bulbiferumFire Lily, Orange lilyBulb1.2 6-9  LMHSNM30 
Lilium callosum Bulb1.0 5-9  LMSNM20 
Lilium canadense editorumMeadow LilyBulb1.5 4-8  LMSNM30 
Lilium canadense flavumMeadow LilyBulb1.5 4-8  LMSNM30 
Lilium candidumMadonna LilyBulb1.0 5-9  LMHSNM322
Lilium cernuum Bulb0.6 3-7  LMSNM20 
Lilium columbianumColumbia Tiger Lily, Columbia lily, Oregon Lily, Tiger LilyBulb1.5 5-10 MLMSNM30 
Lilium concolorMorning Star LilyBulb0.6 4-8  LMHNM22 
Lilium dauricum Bulb1.0 4-8  LMNM20 
Lilium davidii Bulb1.0 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium distichum Bulb1.0 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium formosanumFormosa lilyBulb1.0 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium formosanum pricei Bulb0.1 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium hansonii Bulb1.2 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium henryiHenry's lilyBulb1.8 5-8 MLMSNM20 
Lilium japonicumBamboo LilyBulb1.0 4-8  LMSNM22 
Lilium japonicum platyfoliumBamboo LilyBulb1.0 4-8  LMSNM22 
Lilium kelleyanumKelley's LilyBulb1.0 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium lancifoliumTiger Lily, Devil LilyBulb1.2 4-8 MLMHSNM42 
Lilium leichtlinii Bulb1.2 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium leichtlinii maximowiczii Bulb1.2 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium longiflorumWhite Trumpet Lily, Easter lily, Trumpet LilyBulb1.0 7-9 MLMSNM322
Lilium maculatum Bulb0.6 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium martagonTurk's Cap Lily, Martagon lilyBulb1.2 4-8 MLMHSNM21 
Lilium medeoloides Bulb0.8 4-8  LMSNM20 
Lilium monanthum Bulb0.0 -  LMSNM20 
12

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

43200270

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Lilium canadense  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.