Family: Liliaceae or Lily
Ecology/ Botany:
This perennial grows in subalpine to alpine moist meadows and open forests. It blooms in early spring when the snow melts.
Medicinal/Traditional/Other Uses:
It was an important root vegetable to most Indigenous North American nations. It was also an important trade item for Interior Salish people. There’s a story of an upper St’at’imc (Lillooet) man watching grizzlies dig up the bulbs and leaving them to wilt on the ground for a few days before returning to eat them. They become edible and sweeter after drying or cooking. It has been used medicinally to support the immune, respiratory, and lymphatic systems.
References/Other useful Links:
Parish, Coupe, Lloyd. 1996. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia. B. C. Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing.