Spring Wildflowers: Avalanche Lily

Written By Hailey R

Avalanche lilies (Erythronium grandiflorum) stand out with their cheerful yellow colors, particularly in the alpine habitats where they thrive!

A single yellow avalanche lily (with a small insect on one of the petals) grows in a green field with coniferous trees in the background.

Photo Credit: pfly, Flickr

Avalanche lilies (also known as “glacier lilies”) are found from montane to alpine zones and tend to appear soon after snowmelt. They bloom from April to August and are yellow; the white avalanche lilies have a much smaller range and are not observed in Colorado.

Map showing the range of the yellow avalanche lily across much of the western US and Canada.

Photo Credit: USDA

Yellow avalanche lilies are found across most of the western US and Canada. They are food sources for both brown and black bears, who dig up the bulbs; elk and deer also enjoy the leaves!

A large black bear eats dandelions in a green field.

Photo Credit: PickPic. This bear is enjoying a delicious meal of dandelions, as I could not find a photo of a bear digging for avalanche lily bulbs specifically.

Hailey R
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