Photo courtesy of Mary Clay Stensvold/U.S. Forest Service
Chocolate Lily can be found in moist open areas, stream banks or tidal flats.
By Timm Nawrocki
Special to the Turnagain Times
Throughout the summer in meadow areas, especially at Turnagain Pass, you can find plants with one to several brownish flowers and leaves arranged in whorls of five to nine down the stems. This plant, which is in the Lily family, is known by the common names Chocolate Lily or Northern Rice Root (Fritillaria camschatcensis).
In addition to meadows, Chocolate Lily can be found in moist open areas, stream banks or tidal flats. The flowers are pollinated by flies, which are attracted by the plants’ foul smell.
Chocolate Lily is usually 8 to 24 inches tall and has a root bulb that resembles clustered rice grains. Many indigenous groups harvested the bulbs in late fall or early spring as a food source, which they cooked and stored.
Although the bulbs are slightly bitter, some people still collect and eat them. If you decide to taste the plant, however, make sure that you identify it correctly to avoid accidental poisoning.
With its unusual flowers, unpleasant yet interesting smell, and uniquely shaped root bulb, Chocolate Lily is a fun plant to look for from spring to fall.
