| Lilium superbum | |
|---|---|
| Lilium superbum in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Liliaceae |
| Genus: | Lilium |
| Species: | L. superbum |
| Binomial name | |
| Lilium superbum L. |
|
Lilium superbum is a species of true lily native to the eastern and central regions of North America.[1][2][3] Common names include, Turk's cap lily,[1] turban lily, swamp lily or American tiger lily.[2] The species is native from New Hampshire south to Florida, and west to Missouri and Arkansas.[1]
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Lilium superbum grows from 3–7 feet (0.91–2.1 m) high, with typically 3 to 7 blooms, but exceptional specimens have been observed with up to 40 flowers on each stem.[2] It is capable of growing in wet conditions.[4] It is fairly variable in size, form, and color.[2] The color is known to range from a deep yellow to orange to a reddish-orange "flame" coloring, with reddish petal tips.[2] The flowers have a green star at their center than can be used to distinguish L. superbum from the Asiatic "tigerlilies" that frequently escape from cultivation.[3]
The roots were a food source for Native Americans, and the flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and larger insects.[5][6]
It is listed as endangered in Florida and New Hampshire, threatened in Kentucky, and exploitably vulnerable in New York.[1]
The common name, is derived from the reflexed shape of the flower petals, which presumably resemble a type of hat worn by early Turkish people.[7]