Michigan Lily (Lilium michiganense)

Michigan lily is a beautiful native perennial wildflower found in moist meadows, open woodlands, floodplains and along streams in parts of eastern and central North America, including southern Ontario. Its spectacular orange flowers, decorated with dark spots and gracefully curved backward petals, make it a striking addition to native plant gardens, rain gardens and naturalized landscapes.

The downward-facing flowers bloom in summer and provide nectar for butterflies, particularly swallowtails, as well as other pollinators. Growing Michigan lilies helps restore native biodiversity and provides valuable habitat in gardens designed to work with nature.

Michigan lily thrives in full sun to partial shade, preferring rich, moist, well-drained soil. It appreciates consistent moisture, especially during the growing season, but does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging. Once established, this hardy perennial returns year after year, gradually developing larger plants and producing more flowers. Plants can reach approximately 60–150 cm in height.

Unlike many common garden flowers, Michigan lilies grow from bulbs and develop slowly from seed. Germination involves a natural sequence of warm and cold conditions, and seedlings may spend their early development underground before producing visible leaves. It can take 3–5 years or longer for plants grown from seed to flower, but the reward is a beautiful, long-lived native wildflower.

All the seeds we offer, including our Michigan lilies, are collected from plants we cultivate in our own food forest at Willows Green Permaculture, never from wild populations.

For best results, sow seeds outdoors in pots in late summer or fall and leave them exposed to the natural seasons. Michigan lily seeds generally require a warm, moist period followed by cold stratification before above-ground growth begins. Seeds sown in winter may require an additional growing season to complete this process. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, and be patient, as germination and early growth can be slow.

At least 25 seeds per packet.