Lilium bulbiferum, common names orange lily, fire lily, Jimmy's Bane, tiger lily and St. John's Lily, is a herbaceous European lily with underground bulbs, belonging to the Liliaceae.
There are two varieties, L. b. var. croceum <small>(Chaix) Baker</small> in the western part of the range, and L. b. var. bulbiferum in its eastern part. Only the last one always produces secondary aerial bulbs (bulbils) in the axils of the upper leaves. These bulbils fall to the ground and mature after two to three years. When manually separated from the stem they can easily be used for propagating the plant.
The dwarf plants from the Maritime Alps, formerly described as var. chaixii <small>(Elwes) Stoker</small>, and the large plants from the region of Naples, formerly described as var. giganteum <small>N. Terracc.</small>, are now considered as local variants of var. croceum.
Extrafloral nectaries on the species were first noted by Zimmerman 1932, at least for var. croceum.
Distribution and habitat
L. bulbiferum is widely distributed in much of Europe from Spain to Finland and Ukraine. It grows in mountain meadows and on hillsides. They prefer calcareous soils in warm, sunny places, but also grow on slightly acid soils. They can be found at an altitude of above sea level.
thumb|Orange Lily in [[Manali]]
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In culture
The orange lily has long been recognised as a symbol of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland.
Toxicity
Cats
Cats are extremely sensitive to lily toxicity and ingestion is often fatal; households and gardens which are visited by cats are strongly advised against keeping this plant or placing dried flowers where a cat may brush against them and become dusted with pollen which they then consume while cleaning. Suspected cases require urgent veterinary attention.