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Taxon  Report  
Lilium rubescens  S. Watson
Chaparral lily,   Redwood lily
Lilium rubescens is a perennial herb (bulb) that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 4.2 (limited distribution).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~231 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Lilium
Family: Liliaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Ultramafic affinity: 2 - weak indicator

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Chaparral

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEFLilium washingtonianum var. purpureum
Information about  Lilium rubescens from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (LIRU)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Description, Threatened: Lilium rubescens is an uncommon species of lily known by the common names redwood lily and chaparral lily.[2] It is native to northwestern California and southwestern Oregon, where it is known from the Coast Ranges from Lane County to Santa Cruz Counties.[3] As its names suggest, it is a member of the flora in redwood forest understory and chaparral habitat types. This is a perennial herb growing a waxy, erect stem up to two meters in height. It forms a scaly, oval-shaped bulb up to about 9 centimeters long. The oval leaves are located in several whorls about the stem, each up to 13 centimeters in length with wavy edges. The inflorescence bears up to 40 erect flowers. The fragrant flower is trumpet-shaped with 6 tepals up to 7 centimeters long and somewhat recurved or curled back. The tepals are white to pale purple or pinkish on the inside, darker on the outside, and freckled with reddish spotting. There are 6 stamens with yellowish anthers and a pistil which may be 4 centimeters in length. The flowers are probably pollinated by bees and the pale swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon).[4][5] This plant is threatened by a number of factors, including development, logging, non-native species, road maintenance, and horticultural collecting of the bulbs and flowers.[6] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/21/2024).