clairycherry's Favorites

Spotted this Lilium grayi plant at the Roan. Quite easily the most gorgeous Gray's Lily plant that I've ever seen so far! Here I am, having hiked miles in the burning sun to get pictures and then the best opportunities present themselves just around the parking lot.

I've been looking for this plant in the following years and sadly have not seen it come back again. Maybe it grew too close to the parking area and some unscrupulous plant collector took it. One year I saw an entire bouquet of these lilies carelessly thrown on the ground in the parking lot. It made me mad. I think it goes without saying: Please don't pick the wildflowers! Many of these lilies now have a fungal infection that prevents them from getting to the seed-setting stage, so any further interference with their ability to reproduce by removing the flowers is going to negatively impact the population even more.