Bloomipedia
Glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum)
Photo: John Clonce via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Glacier lily

Erythronium grandiflorum

Native in the lower 48

Glacier lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–July.

9states
5of our state lists
12,060U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Quick look

Erythronium grandiflorum is a North American species of plants in the lily family. It is known by several common names, including yellow avalanche lily, glacier lily, and dogtooth fawn lily. The Ktunaxa name for glacier lily is maxa.

  • It belongs to the Liliaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 9 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Washington, Montana, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. NatureServe
  • In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–July. iNaturalist
  • In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,122 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #55 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,159 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #3 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,841 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #16 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist

Glacier lily gift ideas

Handmade glacier lily gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Glacier lily art print

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    Glacier lily mug

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    Glacier lily embroidery pattern

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    Glacier lily sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,945 records)
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
WashingtonNativeMarch–July3,122
MontanaNativeApril–July2,159
UtahNativeMarch–June1,841
IdahoNativeApril–July1,297
WyomingNativeMay–July768

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Washington
No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Montana
No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Idaho.
Wyoming
No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records glacier lily in 9 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Washington counties with USDA records: Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Granite, Lake, Madison, Missoula, Park, Powell, Teton.

Utah counties with USDA records: Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Juab, Millard, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, Weber.

More Washington flowers

Checker lily (Fritillaria affinis)

Checker lily

Fritillaria affinis

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: April–June
Columbia lily (Lilium columbianum)

Columbia lily

Lilium columbianum

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: June–August
Bride's bonnet (Clintonia uniflora)

Bride's bonnet

Clintonia uniflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: June–July

Sources