Flower profile

Wood lily

Lilium philadelphicum

Native in the lower 48

Wood lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.

36states

3of our state lists

6,079U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Lilium philadelphicum, also known as the wood lily, flame lily, Philadelphia lily, (wild) tiger lily, prairie lily, or western red lily, is a perennial species of lily native to North America.
From Wikipedia's article Lilium philadelphicum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 36 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Maine, South Dakota and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July. ^iNaturalist
In South Dakota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 721 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #98 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 371 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #32 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 220 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #28 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

Wood lily gift ideas

Handmade wood 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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Wood lily art print
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Wood lily sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,915 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maine	Native	July	721
South Dakota	Native	June–July	371
North Dakota	Native	June–July	220

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
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S1), DC (SH), DE (SX), GA (S1), IN (S2), MD (S1), NC (S1), OH (S2), WV (S2), WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to cats (not dogs or horses)

ASPCA's entry “Lily” (Lilium species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to cats, but non-toxic to dogs and horses. Signs include: Cats: kidney… ^ASPCA

🌿 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 wood lily in 36 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, York.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Brookings, Codington, Custer, Day, Hamlin, Lawrence, Marshall, Meade, Pennington, Roberts.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Grand Forks, Kidder, LaMoure, McHenry, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Steele, Stutsman, Walsh, Ward, Wells, Williams.