Avalanche lily is a white lily of high mountain meadows and subalpine forest openings. Each plant sends up a pair of broad, plain green leaves with wavy edges and a short stalk carrying one to three nodding flowers. The six white tepals sweep back sharply to show a bright yellow zone at their base and a cluster of yellow anthers.
It grows from a deep-seated bulb and flowers during the short subalpine summer, mostly at subalpine to alpine elevations. Bees are its main pollinators. The species ranges from Vancouver Island and the Coast Range of British Columbia south through western Washington into Oregon, which puts the Oregon Cascades near the southern end of its range. Near Mt. Hood it has also been photographed somewhat lower, along the road near the summit of Larch Mountain at close to 3,800 feet.
Avalanche lily belongs to the same genus as the fawn lilies and the yellow glacier lily, which share its nodding, swept-back flowers. White flowers, unmottled leaves and a high-mountain home together set it apart.
How to identify it
A plant about 6 to 14 inches tall with two broad, oblong, plain green leaves at the base, 4 to 8 inches long, with wavy edges. One to three nodding flowers have six white tepals 1 to 2 inches long that curve back, a bright yellow zone at the base, white filaments and yellow anthers.
Look-alikes
Giant fawn lily also has white flowers, but its leaves are mottled and it grows at low elevations. Glacier lily has similar swept-back flowers in yellow. Avalanche lily has white flowers and plain green leaves and grows high in the mountains.
Habitat
Subalpine and alpine meadows and forest openings, mainly west of the Cascade crest, occasionally lower on cool peaks such as Larch Mountain.
Sightings in the forest
366 research-grade sightings in Mt. Hood National Forest on iNaturalist, most recently on July 11, 2026. See them on iNaturalist →