Lilium canadense

L.

Canada Lily

G5Secure Found in 33 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.160495
Element CodePMLIL1A030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyLiliaceae
GenusLilium
Other Common Names
Canada lily (EN) Lis du Canada (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
Kartesz (1994) recognizes two subspecies: Lilium canadense ssp. canadense and L. canadense ssp. editorium. Also hybridizes with L. michiganense where their ranges overlap. May have introgressed with L. grayi in the Appalachians. FNA (vol. 26, 2002) lumps subspecific taxa.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-09-19
Change Date1983-07-25
Edition Date2024-09-19
Edition AuthorsOpler, C., rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Lilium canadense is a perennial herb occurring in wet meadows, rich woods, streamsides, and river alluvium, bogs, marshes, swamps, wet roadsides, and railroads of eastern North America from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south to Alabama and Georgia, and north to Indiana in Canada and the United States. There are an estimated 1,500 occurrences of this species, which are threatened by the introduced lily beetle, development, rights-of-way maintenance, succession, invasive species, logging, collection from the wild for ornamental purposes, and other threats in some places. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent, a high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Lilium canadense is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Lilium canadense occurs in eastern North America, from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south to Alabama and Georgia, and north to Indiana in Canada and the United States (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be 2.2 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 1,500 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
In New England, Lilium canadense is threatened by an introduced beetle, the lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii) (Native Plant Trust 2024). Although threats are not widely documented, this species is also potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, succession, invasive species, logging, collection from the wild for ornamental purposes, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Lilium canadense occurs in "wet meadows, moist rich woods especially edges, streamsides and river alluvium, bogs, marshes, swamps, along wet roadsides and railroads" (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest Edge
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS2Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
OntarioS1Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaS2Yes
DelawareS2Yes
New JerseySNRYes
TennesseeS3Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
Rhode IslandS1Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
GeorgiaS2Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
MaineSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
IndianaS3Yes
North CarolinaS1Yes
Threat Assessments

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (33)
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
New Hampshire (6)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
KilkennyWhite Mountain National Forest28,766
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Vermont (2)
AreaForestAcres
Devil's Den 09083Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests9,169
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
Virginia (15)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Crawford MountainGeorge Washington National Forest9,892
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Mountain Lake Addition CJefferson National Forest494
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (8)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Gauley MountainMonongahela National Forest13,285
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).