“To me, all lilies evoke memories of my mother’s garden. Noting this specimen was collected by John Davidson also connects me to the past, as he was the first director of my workplace, UBC Botanical Garden. But, the story I most want to share is more whimsical than nostalgic; I am part of a friendly competition among plant enthusiasts to find the Columbia lily with the most blossoms. So far, most of us have observed plants with flowers numbering in the mid- to high-20s, but the Flora of North America asserts that plants may occasionally have up to 45 blossoms! The search goes on…”

Daniel Mosquin, Education and Technology Manager at the UBC Botanical Garden.