close up image of Lilium michiganense TURK'S CAP LILY at the James Woodworth Prairie Preserve - single bloom, showing color change from typical, a result of age of bloom, and/or moisture or temperature variations from year to year
Such beauties! These plants were the reason I was hiking over the Appalachian Balds yesterday. I was hoping to find some and happy to see four close enough to the trail to be photographed without trampling all over the vegetation. Several miles in, I had counted about a dozen and eventually stopped counting. So many of them, so good to see!This lily is an endangered and protected species where it grows and doesn't grow anywhere else in the world, so if you see it growing along the Appalachian Trail, please do not disturb the plants. Not only would it be detrimental to the survival of this rare flower, but you could actually get into trouble with the law. The plants are reported to have problems with seed production due to a fungal pathogen that attacks them before the capsules ripen. So please do not collect any seeds either. They likely would not germinate or grow outside of their natural habitat anyway since they are so specialized to the Appalachian Balds ecosystem.
Humboldt's Lily (Lilium humboldtii), California.The stems of these flowers grow up to five feet tall, and the flowers themselves are pretty big too: the one pictured here was about six inches tall.I went on a long search for this flower last year, and finally found one in perfect lighting conditions: it had just rained the night before, and there was a thick overcast sky all morning.For tips on photographing wildflowers, check out my free eBook, 13 tips for better wildflower photography