Exotic tiger lily flowers have been appearing here for several days now. The literature states that they received their name because of their orange color with dark spots.
I’ve never seen a spotted tiger, but being half correct isn’t that bad when it comes to flower names. Their scientific name, Lilium lancifolium, is spot on (so to speak): it literally means "lily with lance-shaped leaves."
Tiger lilies originated in Asia, but are now cultivated around the world and have naturalized themselves in some areas. Unlike most flowering plants, they rely on bulb-like growths instead of seeds to reproduce themselves. These dark “bulbils” grow in leaf axils until ready to drop off and start a new plant.
The flowers are edible to humans, but reportedly are “toxic to cats.” I wonder if that includes tigers? (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on August 8, 2025.)