5 Lilies Native to the Northeastern U.S.

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum)

Trout lily is so-called for the appearance of its mottled basal leaves, whose shape and spots are reminiscent of the fish known as the speckled trout or speckled brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).

This is a small plant, reaching just six inches in height. In the wild, it grows in deciduous forests or at the edges of the woods, in areas where the ground is moist. In landscape applications, it is a good candidate for woodland gardens or wet damp locations. Trout lily naturalizes readily; it grows from corms, with stolons that allow the plants to spread and form colonies.

This is a spring ephemeral that blooms in April or May—thereafter it hastily departs into dormancy for the summer.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
• Color Varieties: Yellow
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade
• Soil Needs: Rich, moist, humusy soil that is slightly acidic

Bluebead Lily (Clintonia borealis)

At first glance, trout lily and bluebead lily are nearly identical, with similar basal leaves and nodding flowers. Both plants can spread to form large colonies over time, and they can often be found growing in the same places: damp, acidic, wooded areas. Upon close inspection, though, It's not difficult to identify bluebead lily. It is a slightly bigger plant (up to 12 inches or taller), it has more leaves (up to five), the leaves are not speckled, and its flowers aren't solitary (three to six flowers bloom in a bunch). It also blooms later than trout lily, in May to June.

Moreover, bluebead lily has an aesthetic feature that trout lily cannot: It bears attractive berries. The eponymous berries ("beads") are true-blue in color; although pretty, they are mildly toxic. When a sufficiently large number of these herbaceous perennials are present, the berry display can be quite impressive, especially against a light background.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
• Color Varieties: Yellow, green, brown
• Sun Exposure: Partial or dappled shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, rich soil

Canada Lily (Lilium canadense)

The previous two native lilies are members of Lilicaeae family of plants, but they are not true lilies because they do not belong to the Lillium genus. Canada lily is the first native in our list that is a true lily All of these plants display the whorled-leaf pattern on their stalks characteristic of other members of the genus. Canada lily, like the next two, is a summer bloomer that can be grown in full sun to partial shade.

Canada lily has nodding flowers and attains a height of three to eight feet. It can bear either a solitary flower or numerous blooms; 16 to 20 at most as the upper end of the spectrum. It is a bulb plant that can spread by underground runners to form colonies if conditions are right (it prefers wet ground).

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
• Color Varieties: Yellow, orange or red with brown speckles
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, rich soil

Turk's Cap Lily (Lilium superbum)

Turk's cap lily bears some resemblance to the better-known tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium, sometimes alternatively called Lilium tigrinum). But whereas the latter is exotic (hailing from Asia), Turk's cap is a native lily in the Northeast, and it's another stoloniferous bulb that can spread over time. It typically reaches a height of four to seven feet.

In the wild, Turk's cap lily inhabits wet meadows. Each plant can produce numerous flowers, which nod to the ground. Michigan lily (Lilium michiganense) is a similar plant, but it is native to the Midwest.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
• Color Varieties: Yellow, red, orange, pink
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Needs: Medium to wet, well-drained soil

Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum)

The wood lily, also called prairies lily, is something of an oddball in this group. Yes, the flowers from this bulb plant exhibit the same color range as the others (yellow-orange-red; mainly orange), but its flowers do not nod. The wood lily flowers in July and August. It's also the runt of the group, sometimes achieving a height of just one foot and at most three feet. And whereas the other two native lilies like wet ground, this plant colonizes drier soils. The stalks of some plants carry but a single flower, while other lilies can bear up to five.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
• Color Varieties: Yellow, orange, red
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Rich, dry, well-drained soil but can tolerate some moisture