Native Plants A-Z
Easy to recognize by its elegant form and preference for water-rich places, Lilium pardalinum (líl-ee-um par-dál-in-um) is a riparian specialist of the Santa Cruz Mountains and San Lorenzo Valley. It thrives in seeps, along creek margins, and in other consistently moist zones, where its tall stems rise in summer topped with brilliant orange-red “turk’s-cap” flowers, their petals recurved and spotted like the coat of a leopard. These showy blooms draw hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees, while the dense foliage at the base offers refuge for insects and small ground life. Historically abundant in the Valley, Leopard Lily was diminished when early settlers dug bulbs for their gardens, where they seldom survived outside moist conditions. In its natural habitats, however, it persists and spreads both by forming expanding clumps and by bulblets that wash downstream, rooting into new sites. Today, nursery-propagated bulbs provide an ethical way to reintroduce this species to riparian areas on private property, restoring beauty and biodiversity to creekside landscapes.
Leopard Lily
Lilium pardilinum
líl-ee-um par-dál-in-um
KEY DETAILS
Plant Type
- Perennial bulb-forming wildflower
Light
- Prefers part shade; tolerates morning sun if soils stay moist
Soil
- Thrives in moist, organic-rich soils
Size
- Typically 3–6 ft tall; can grow taller in rich, wet soils
Bloom Time
- Peak bloom in the SLV is July 4th
Sun Exposures per day
Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sun
Part shade: 3-4 hours of direct sun
Part Sun: 5–6 hours of direct sun
Full Sun: Receives 6+ hours of direct sun