Plant IdentificationCommon name: formosan lily, taiwan lilyBotanical Name: Lilium formosanFamily name: LiliaceaeLocation: Lidcombe, NSWDate: 12th April 2009Collector: John PoulakisHabitat: Native of Taiwan. An erect perennial herb grows up to 2 metres high. Common in drainage ditches and along roadsides.Economic significance: A highly successful invader capableof producing many offspring with a potential to become a dominant plant species in an invaded area.
These rare lilies only grow on the Appalachian Balds and a few other areas in the Southern Appalachians and don't occur anywhere else in the world. They are listed as "vulnerable" globally because of their restricted range, and endangered in Tennessee and a "species of concern" federally in the US. They were named after Asa Gray, one of America's most famous 19th century botanists. After getting some tips from the naturalists on Grandfather Mountain, I was able to find a few of them. It was a stormy day and had just rained heavily with the sun breaking through the clouds again, making the flowers glow and glitter in the forest. Luckily they were growing close enough to the trail to zoom in for pictures.