Friday, July 22, 2011

"send for Tiger Lily"



I can remember the the first time I saw Peter Pan, with Mary Martin. And she and Tiger Lily, were singing back "send for Tiger Lily- send for Peter Pan". I am sure that I didn't know what a Tiger Lily was, but I knew it was a beautiful name. When summer came I learned that Tiger Lilys were the name given to those huge reddish flowers that grew along the path to the cow pasture. Not far from the huckleberry bushes. Coming as they do when the first berrys are ripe and the first of the beans and zucchini are table ready, they announce the coming bounty and beauty of later summer.
I have edited the song a bit, left out the chourus of nonsense words that were such to sing over and over, when I was playing.

When we get in trouble
Ugg-a-woo
There s just one thing to do

Peter Pan:
I'll just send for Tiger Lily

Tiger Lily:
I'll send for Peter Pan

BOTH:
We ll be coming willy-nilly, Lily

Tiger Lily:
Beat on a drum
And I will come

Peter Pan:
And I will come and save the brave noble red skin

ALL:. when you get in trouble
And you're took away by Captain Hook

Peter Pan:
I'll just send for Tiger Lily

Tiger Lily:
I'll send for Peter Pan

ALL:
We'll be coming willy-nilly, Lily

Peter Pan:
Send up a flare

Tiger Lily:
And I'll be there

ALL:
And you know
You got a friend a friend
We ll be true blood brothers till the
End--the end
We're brothers till the
End!.




For the last week the roadside and my garden have been filled with color by the Tiger Lily, though I have learned that it is usually actually the red or wild lily(Lilium philadelphicum), one of the first wild plants I added to my garden, they grew in every roadside ditch, so why not my yard. I was surprised to learn that they are a Native plant, as some regard these as a weed and some like me relish their brilliant splashed of color. The Plains Indians used the root of the red lily much like we use the potato. I was also amazed to learn that the lily family (Liliaceae) also includes the edible onion, garlic, and asparagus, and contains poisonous the plants death camas and hellebore. If you are tempted to try an grow these fiery beauties you will find they take root easily , love a bit of shade and came become invasive, very quickly.




The true Tiger Lily (Lilium lancifolium) is grown in the Orient for it's edible root.

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