Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Wood Lily - TreeTime.ca

Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Wood Lily

Lilium philadelphicum

Malus x adstringens Thunderchild

CUSTOM GROW

Wood Lily
Thunderchild Flowering Crab

Wood Lily is a native perennial wildflower known for its vibrant, trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of orange to red. Its showy flowers appear mid-summer and are highly visible in meadows and prairies. The upward-facing flowers are an important nectar source for many pollinators, including native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Unlike most lilies, the Wood Lily’s flowers face upward rather than nodding. It is slow to establish and may take years before flowering, but once mature, it requires little maintenance. It is well-suited for pollinator gardens, naturalisation projects, prairie restoration, and open woodland plantings.

Wood Lily is the provincial flower of Saskatchewan and North America’s most widespread lily. Despite its wide natural range, populations have been declining. Habitat loss, overgrazing by deer, and unsustainable picking have reduced both its abundance and density across many regions. These pressures highlight the importance of protecting and restoring this once-common wildflower.

Thunderchild Flowering Crab is a hybrid crab apple known for its attractive and fragrant dark pink blossoms and deep purple mature leaves.

Tree farmers will find this hybrid appealing as a pollinator for other apples, while home growers will enjoy the red pome's ability to attract flocks of Cedar Waxwings in the early spring.

This species is reportedly resistant to fireblight.

Wood Lily Quick Facts

Thunderchild Flowering Crab Quick Facts

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Zone: 2b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: none

Toxicity: toxic to cats

Foliage: dark purple leaves
Fall colour: dark red
Flowers: bright orange to red with dark spots
Flowers: dark pink blossoms
Bloom time: early to mid summer
Fruit: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Berries: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC
Other Names: prairie wood lily, red lily, red wood lily