Plant · GBIF taxon 2753079
fire lily
Lilium bulbiferumAlso known as Orange Lily, Jimmy's Bane, Tiger Lily, St. John's Lily
Fire lilies illuminate European mountain meadows and rocky slopes with their upright, star-shaped blossoms of brilliant orange and red. Uniquely, these plants produce small, dark bulbils in the axils of their upper leaves, which drop to the ground to clone the parent plant. They rely on large butterflies and bees for pollination, standing out as vibrant beacons in alpine grasslands.
AlpineFloweringPerennial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
- Red Lily Beetle
- Deer
- Slugs
ThreatsHabitat loss, over-collection, and grazing by wild herbivores
HabitatsAlpine meadows, rocky hillsides, open scrublands, and forest edges
Life spanPerennial (bulbs can live for decades)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyLiliaceae
- SpeciesLilium bulbiferum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Highly toxic to cats; wild plants have toxic look-alikes, so never ingest.
- Why it is dangerous
- Contains compounds that cause severe, potentially fatal kidney failure in cats, even in tiny amounts.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for upright, unspotted or lightly spotted bright orange flowers and dark bulbils in the leaf axils.
- What to do
- Keep domestic pets away from the plant, and wash hands after handling the foliage or pollen.
Responsible observation
- Look for bulbils: Check the leaf joints along the stem for tiny, dark, bead-like bulbils.
- Watch for pollinators: Observe the flowers on sunny days to spot visiting swallowtail butterflies.
- Check the leaves: Inspect the foliage for the bright red lily beetle, a common pest.
Herbivore (c) IES MANUEL GARCÃA BARROS A ESTRADA- PONTEVEDRA, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative Amada44 / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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