Erythronium Grandiflorum, Glacier Lily

Day 260: Like their well-known white cousins Avalanche Lilies, Glacier Lilies (Erythronium grandiflorum) follow the receding snow-line, often flowering right at the edge of snow patches or sometimes poking their heads straight up through. In fact, the blooming cycle of both Erythroniums is closely tied to the depth of snow-pack. Their corms not only require a period of chill but of darkness. When the snow-pack is lower than normal, a small amount of sunlight passes through the snow. Given a low snow year or an early melt, fewer Glacier and Avalanche Lilies will be seen in the meadows the following spring. At Mount Rainier, Glacier Lilies are more likely to be found on the east side or below Paradise, while Avalanche Lilies dominate the western portion of the Park.