Friday, June 7, 2013

Wild Lilies

While on my way to take pictures of Queen Anne's Lace in rural Hinds County, Mississippi, I did a double take as I passed by these colorful lilies growing wild along a fence row.  (If you would like to read my post featuring my pictures of the Queen Anne's Lace, you can click on the link or just scroll down at the end of this post.)


The bright orange flowers seemed to be beckoning to me to stop and capture them in pictures, but I resisted and continued on my mission to photograph the Queen Anne's Lace.  Of course, I knew that I would pass by them again on my way home to Vicksburg, and would be able to take my time to capture them in all their glory.



And glorious, they were!


They were about 15 or 20 feet away and were surrounded by tall grasses, and since I don't like to wade through grass when I can't see where I'm stepping ... or what I'm stepping on, I had to be content with capturing this close up picture with my zoom lens ...


As I admired these beautiful wild lilies, I couldn't help but wonder how they came to be growing along that fence row on the frontage road of Interstate 20, in rural Hinds County.  I was curious about what kind of lilies they are and, after looking at several Google images, I discovered that they are called "ditch lilies."  Not a very elegant name for such beautiful flowers, is it!

The "ditch lily" is not a true lily.  It is a species of daylily and is considered highly invasive.  You can find them growing in fields and along roadsides and ditches all across America, and the blooms last for only one day.


As for how they ended up along the fence row, I can imagine them growing in someone's yard and slowing taking over their flowerbeds to the point that they dug them up and dumped "transplanted" them along the fence.


Invasive or not, I think they are beautiful ... and I'd be willing to bet that I'm not the only one whose day was brightened by the sight of them.

5 comments:

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Glorious.

xo,

Sheila

Pat said...

Janie,

What a treat to drive along the highway in Mississippi and see such beautiful wild day lilies.

Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing.

Pat in Tallahassee

Sue said...

The Lilies are beautiful, Janie, years ago my dh husband brought some home to transplant and they did take over, and we did dig them up and replanted them over a fence, ~smiling~ However, we still have some lingering in our flower beds, to which shall soon meet their demise. Maybe next time we will just leave them to bloom where they are suppose to, in a ditch.. They truly are beautiful,and we would have kept them if the blooms would have lasted lol
Thanks for sharing.
Sue

Jenni said...

Hello, precious Southern Lady! These Lilies brightened my morning...thought of Matt.6:28"..Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29:And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

They are lovely; thanks for sharing!
Jenni

C M Designs said...

I love the pictures of the Queen Anne's lace and the "ditch lilies". I guess they are what I have in my yard. Mine looks just like the ones you took such beautiful pictures of.
Mine are invasive but that's fine with me. I think they are lovely flowers.
Have a lovely Sunday, Janie.
Charlotte in Va.