Photo Friday - Lilies!

 Lilies are often gorgeous plants that range from edible to medicinal to poisonous. Here's a collection of some of my favorite lilies to gaze upon. 

Sego Lily, Calochortus nuttallii. 
The state flower of my home state, Utah. It is a beautiful site to see this gorgeous flower growing in an otherwise desolate landscape! 

Lilium martagon, taken in Geneva Switzerland at the 
botanical gardens. 

Lillium columbianum, taken just outside my cabin. The bulbs are edible and taste somewhat peppery, although I seldom eat them. Too pretty! 

Mariposa Lily, Calachortus lyallii. This flower is a frequent site during the spring. It likes dry hillsides and the edges of where the forest meets the sage brush steppe. It also has edible bulbs, which taste pleasant, but are quite small. 

This was photographed at Mt. Hood on a trip with Paul Bergner, I've never been able to find out exactly what type of lily it is. Do you know? 

This beauty is a potentially toxic plant that was once used historically, but can easily cause death. False Hellebore, Veratrum viride

Leaves of False Hellebore

Death Camas, Zigadenus venenosus, is aptly named. Even a small taste of this plant has been known to cause death. After spending time with this plant in all seasons, I've learned to recognize it just be the early lily-like leaves that pop up in the spring.