Commonly known as Canada lily or meadow lily, Lilium canadense is a native herbaceous perennial of eastern North America, present throughout Pennsylvania. Although locally affected by deer browsing, the invasive lily leaf beetle, and its naturally slow establishment, the species remains secure in our state. It is found throughout the state along streams, wet meadows and moist woods in partial shade.

This attractive lily usually occurs in its orange form, though red and yellow forms also appear. The large, pendulous, downward‑hanging flowers are widely flaring, 3-4 inches long, and marked inside with dark purple‑brown spots. Blooming from June into July, each flower lasts about 7–10 days, and many may be borne on long stalks in a loose terminal cluster (raceme) atop the 2–5 foot stem. The smooth stem is encircled by whorls of long, narrow leaves that are dark green above and lighter beneath and may also form bracts just below the flowers.

Fritillary and swallowtail butterflies visit the large, nodding flowers for nectar and are likely the most effective pollinators. Halictid bees collect pollen but are generally too small to pollinate the deep, pendulous blooms. Hummingbirds may occasionally visit, but they are not considered primary pollinators of Lilium canadense.

It is recorded that this showy lily was seen by French explorers in the early 1600s and taken to Europe, where it was successfully grown in England and France. Thomas Jefferson admired the plant while living in France in 1786 and requested bulbs and seeds, which he shared with friends.

The bulbs of Canada lily were traditionally used in a limited set of medicinal applications. A poultice made from the bulbs was applied to snakebites, and a tea prepared from the bulbs was used as a stomachic and in the treatment of irregular menses and dysentery. Some groups also used a decoction of the tubers as a nutritive tonic for children.