Flower profile

Columbia lily

Lilium columbianum

Native in the lower 48

Columbia lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.

5states

2of our state lists

7,454U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Oregon, Washington

Quick look

Lilium columbianum is a lily native to western North America. It is also known as the Columbia lily, Columbia tiger lily, or simply tiger lily.
From Wikipedia's article Lilium columbianum, 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 5 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Washington and Oregon. ^NatureServe
In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,693 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #43 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,138 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #49 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist

Columbia lily gift ideas

Handmade columbia lily gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Columbia lily art print
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Columbia lily embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,360 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Washington	Native	June–August	3,693
Oregon	Native	June–July	3,138

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MT (S2). (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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

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 columbia lily in 5 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington.

Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Ferry, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, Yakima.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill.

More Washington flowers

Checker lily

Fritillaria affinis

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: April–June

Glacier lily

Erythronium grandiflorum

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: March–July

Tolmie's pussy ears

Calochortus tolmiei

Native

🌼 Blooms: March–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LICO.
iNaturalist, Lilium columbianum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lilium columbianum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lilium columbianum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Sam Kieschnick via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.