VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Erythronium grandiflorum | Glacier Lily 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Glacier lily is an important forage for grizzly bears, which dig for the
corms in spring [31].  Ground squirrels will also feed on corms.
Foliage is grazed by large ungulates such as sheep and cattle [10,15].
In an Idaho study, glacier lily made up the bulk of mule deer diets
during May [19].


PALATABILITY : 
In Idaho, mule deer ate disproportionate amounts of glacier lily
compared to its availability, suggesting there was some preference for
the lily [19].  Bears will stray from their normal course of travel
along ridges to seek out glacier lily corms [31].

Glacier lily provides fair to poor forage for cattle, sheep, and horses,
and fair graze for small mammals, deer, and elk [7].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Glacier lily was only an occasional food source for Native Americans.
The deep-seated corms are difficult to dig.  The corms and flower buds
may be eaten raw or boiled.  The leaves may be used as salad greens or
as a potherb [15].  Native Americans crushed the root and used it as a
poultice for boils [32].  However, the plant is probably more important
for its aesthetic value, due to its large, showy flowers.  It may grow
in gardens, but it is difficult to maintain and does much better in the
wild [5,15].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Glacier lily was present in small amounts on ungrazed, and moderately
and heavily grazed sites in Utah [10].  Frequency increased on an
18-year grazing exclosure [9].  The species showed no great fluctuations
in percent cover after various disturbances, such as clearcutting [31].
After severe overgrazing in Utah, glacier lily was a component of an
ephemeral community that withered early in the summer, leaving the area
subject to flooding and erosion later in the summer [10].

The rare, white variety of glacier lily should be protected.  Some of
its former habitat in Glacier National Park has been destroyed by road
maintenance work [21].  A recent study showed that white glacier lily is
not limited by failure to attract pollinators, low fertility, or
differential survivorship of seedlings.  It did at least as well as
Erythronium grandiflorum var. grandiflorum in each of those categories
[12].

Related categories for Species: Erythronium grandiflorum | Glacier Lily