Chocolate lily

Chocolate lily
Fritillaria camschatcensis
Lily family

Native to the western North America, Chocolate lily is an extraordinarily beautiful wildflower. The nodding flowers are shaded with deep-purple colouring spotted with yellow. It has glossy deep green leaves arranged in whorls down the stem.

Chocolate lily bulbs were a staple food for local Indigenous people. The bulbs were either cooked immediately, or partially dried and stored for winter consumption. They were generally cooked in a wood box or boiled and then mashed into a paste.

Chocolate lilies, Bowen Park, May 5, 2021