Flower profile

Carolina lily

Lilium michauxii

Carolina lily (Lilium michauxii) is a flowering plant in the Liliaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

★ Official state wildflower of North Carolina (2003)Native to North Carolina

Carolina lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In North Carolina it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

13states where USDA records it

945NC sightings*

1,967U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Carolina

🏅

North Carolina's official state wildflower since 2003. Visit the North Carolina page → ^{N.C.G.S. § 145-20}

Quick look

Lilium michauxii, commonly known as the Carolina lily, can be found in the southeastern United States from southern Virginia in the north to the Florida Panhandle in the south to eastern Texas in the west. Blooming is most common in July and August but can occur as late as October. It was named for the French botanist André Michaux, who traveled and did extensive research throughout the Southeast.
From Wikipedia's article Lilium michauxii, 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 13 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina. ^NatureServe
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 945 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #108 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In North Carolina, most flowering sightings come in July–August.

Flowering records by month in North Carolina (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (326 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S2), WV (S1). (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 Carolina lily in 13 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Beaufort, Bertie, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Graham, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hoke, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Lilium fortunofulgidum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 164 counties across 11 states; the most are in North Carolina (53), Virginia (27), Georgia (17).

Other Lilium on Bloomipedia (4): Columbia lily, Wood lily, Turk's-cap lily, Canada lily.

More from the Liliaceae family (32 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Yellow trout lily, Cucumber root, Bluebead lily, White fawnlily, Checker lily, White globe lily, Glacier lily, Yellow mariposa lily.

More North Carolina flowers

Dimpled trout lily

Erythronium umbilicatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: February–April

Cucumber root

Medeola virginiana

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: May–June

Turk's-cap lily

Lilium superbum

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: July–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LIMI.
iNaturalist, Lilium michauxii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lilium michauxii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
N.C.G.S. § 145-20: North Carolina state wildflower.
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lilium michauxii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Evan M. Raskin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.