This isn't the first time I've taken pictures of lilies, and it won't be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they'll be ones I've bought for Charlotte. Every now and then, we see wild lilies growing here in Japan, but we've never seen anything like this.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the " Golden rayed lily of Japan"
From Wikipedia:
The flower colour is typically white with gold radial markings and orange spots, but variations in flower colour and markings are known. For example the variety platyphyllum, which bears a gold stripe along the tepals but lacks spots. The strongly scented flowers are the largest of any lily species and the largest plants, which can reach 2.5 metres (8 ft), can carry up to twenty of these.
The plant itself was well over 2m long, from ground to tip. Weighed down by its sheer size, and successfully attempting to leave the shadow of the canopy above, the plant pointed perpendicular to the ground, creating an amazing eye-level bouquet.
The hillside was covered in these plants. The smell was incredible. There was quite a strong wind [see video below], no doubt blowing lots of lovely pollen around. Closing our eyes in the warm breeze, we listened to the forest cicadas scream their summer song.
