Glacier Lily

The glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum), also known as avalanche lily or dogtooth violet, is an early-blooming bulb in the lily family (Liliaceae). It carpets alpine and subalpine meadows in Banff National Park as snow melts; often emerging through the retreating snow line.

Identification: Low perennial (10–30 cm); two basal, lance-shaped leaves; solitary or paired yellow, six-petaled flowers (2–5 cm) that nod; petals recurve backward. Blooms immediately after snowmelt; hence “glacier” or “avalanche” lily.

Habitat: Subalpine and alpine; moist meadows, talus edges, and open forest. Often with western anemone and alpine forget-me-not. Blooms June to August depending on elevation. Meadows surrounding Lake Agnes and the Big Beehive host glacier lilies in spring.

Ecology: Bulbs eaten by grizzly bears in spring; a critical early-season food. Flowers attract pollinators. Do not pick or dig bulbs; Parks Canada prohibits collection.