The perennial lily with flowers growing up to three inches in width was named ‘tiger’, probably referring to the spots on its fiery orange petals. This exotic lily has a strong, sweet and distinctively lily smell. Surprisingly, the flower buds, roots and shoots of this plant are all edible. These can often have a bitter flavor, however when baked, lily bulbs taste rather like potatoes. Tiger Lily buds are added to Chinese dishes; and they also can enhance the flavor of egg dishes and salads.
There are two varieties of the Tiger Lily: the Oriental variety that propagates through bulbs that form at leaf axils, and the common wildflower variety propagating by tuberous roots. Due to its wild growing nature, the Tiger Lily is incredibly easy to grow. They thrive well in moist to wet soils and grow well near the ditches. Actually, another name given to this perennial is ‘ditch’ lily because of this characteristic. Early to mid-autumn is the best time to plant out the bulbs in cool temperate areas. In warmer climates they can be planted out in late autumn.
The Tiger Lily has six stamens composed of anthers and filaments, one pistil composed of the stigma, style and ovary, a long style, and a three-lobed stigma. The Tiger Lily is sterile and does not produce seeds. To propagate, remove bulb scales from the bulbils (small bulbs) that grow in the axils of the leaves. Place these in moist peat in a cool dark place in a nursery until they produce bulbets that can be later planted outside.
The Tiger Lily does not require any special care. Tiger Lilies are among the most adaptable and long-lived summer bulbs. Almost anywhere you plant them they will grow even more beautifully the next year around. Tiger Lilies are happy in partial shade and can be planted where shade from overhanging trees would discourage other flowers. Fertilizers are needed only in the poorest of soils. Tiger Lilies can be sometimes attacked by slug or lily beetles. If you find these on your lilies just simply remove them by hand.
Very tall and exotic in appearance, the Tiger Lily makes an unusual display with the lily’s petals curling back to expose inner black dots and several long stamen. Plants can grow up to 5 feet tall with fairly strong stems. The soft, medium green leaves of the lily are elegant, a few inches long with a pointed tip. Leaves grow from the base of the plant up to the bloom point. Many flowers are on a single stem and there are several stems to a plant.
Some interesting and little-known facts about this lily are that it was first described in 1753 by the famous Swedish botanist Carl von Linne (Linnaeus). The Tiger Lily has proven to have significant medicinal uses. A tincture made from a fresh plant has great value in uterine-neuralgia, congestion and irritation, also in the nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. The flower essence helps in suppressing aggressive tendencies in individuals and helps in holistic healing. Tiger Lily has some toxic effects on cats and it can produce vomiting, in appetence, lethargy, kidney failure, even death. There is a superstition that smelling Tiger Lily will give you freckles, maybe started with the lily’s spotted interior. And lastly, the Tiger Lily stands for wealth and prosperity.
