Gray’s lily is an herbaceous perennial wildflower in the lily family (Liliaceae) endemic to the Appalachian Mountains. It is an endangered species and listed by both state and federal authorities as imperiled. This lily grows only at high mountain elevations in moist meadows, bogs and seepages. The species epithet honors American botanist Asa Gray (1810–1888), who was based at Harvard University. This plant is difficult to grow and propagate, so it is important to conserve the areas where this plant grows. Those attempting to grow this lily should try to mimic the species' natural conditions: full sun to partial shade and moist, acidic soil. This is a plant for the cool mountain regions. This plant is being propagated by tissue culture and is becoming more available in the commercial trade. Gray’s lily grows between 2 and 5 feet tall and bears whorls of lance-shaped leaves 2 to 3 inches long. The flowers are outward-facing to slightly nodding, 2.5 inches long, reddish-orange and bell-shaped. The tepals are slightly reflexed and have purple spots on their interior surfaces. This plant is the only lily native to NC that is pollinated by hummingbirds. This lily is notoriously difficult to grow. It would likely do best in a rain garden or bog garden. It would be a fine addition to a pollinator garden, where it would attract hummingbirds. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: A fungal foliar disease caused by Pseudocercosporella inconspicua is affecting plants in the wild and leads to premature die-back of aboveground tissues. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Lilium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Moist
NC region
Mountains
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Horizontal
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
2-3" lance-shaped leaves arranged in several whorls.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Purple/Lavender
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Groups of horizontal to slightly nodding 2.5" reddish-orange, bell-shaped flowers. Sepals and petals have purple spots. It is slightly flared or reflexed. Flowers bloom June-July.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit detail
Fruits are available August-September.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southwest Virginia to East Tennessee
Distribution
mountains of western Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Attracts
Hummingbirds; Songbirds
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Native Garden
Garden tags
#endangered #NC native #native wildflower #Piedmont Mountains FACU #food source nectar #food source pollen #hummingbird friendly #bird friendly #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #problem for cats #Audubon #difficult to grow #bulb #wildflower #NC Native Pollinator Plant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Bulb Mites; Slugs and Snails Found on Flowers and Foliage; Aphids on Ornamental Landscape Plants; Potato Aphid on Ornamental Plants; Narcissus Bulb Fly