Mary Gibson Henry would not have been deterred. She would have stomped right through the field of ticks and poison ivy to look at the wood lilies. I was less inclined.
This early 20th-century American botanist explained the challenges of prospecting for plants: “I soon learned that rare and beautiful plants can only be found in places that are difficult of access … Often one has to shove one’s self through or wriggle under briars, with awkward results to clothing and many and deep cuts and scratches … Wading, usually barelegged, through countless rattlesnake-infested swamps adds immensely to the interest of the day’s work.”
I didn’t have her commitment, and admired from afar the field of wood lilies along a beach road in Chilmark a few weeks ago. It was the best display I had seen in years, which is surprising, since deer browse is a significant threat to the population of this plant, described as one the of North America’s most spectacular native wildflowers.
Mary was not only a dedicated flora finder, she was also an admirer of wood lilies, known for her work to develop color variants of this fiery red flower. She engineered yellow and blue-red varieties with and without their telltale black spots.
No matter the color, wood lilies, also called orange cup lily, Philadelphia lily, flame lily, and tiger lily, are true stunners. Blooming June through August, their large flamboyant flowers are more than just a pretty face. Unlike most lilies whose flowers nod or face down, wood lilies hold their heads up high. The upright flowers better serve pollinators such as monarch, swallowtail, and great spangled fritillary butterflies, hummingbirds, and native bees, by giving them easier access to the flower’s nectar and pollen.
As objects of desire, wood lily populations have declined, as folks couldn’t resist collecting them for bouquets and gardens. While Indigenous populations were documented using this plant for food, medicine, and in cultural ceremony, they were reportedly judicious, and it wasn’t until more recently that habitat loss and collecting significantly reduced the plant’s prevalence. Natural regeneration is slow in wild and domestic environments, with most wild ones growing from existing bulbs year after year.
Growing wood lilies from seeds is an option and is a lesson in patience and commitment, since it can take many years for a specimen planted from seeds to flower. West Tisburian Tom Hodgson is one of the few gardeners I know that have been successful in that quest. Having collected wild lily seeds in the fall of 2017, he nurtured them for seven years before he had his first flower, and only this year did one of his plants produce a seed pod.
That puts Tom in good company with Mary, as both were dedicated plant people with long-term vision. Tom shares his trials and tribulations, and also, seeds and plants with the Island community. While Tom mostly stays put in his amazing up-Island garden, Mary travelled all over the world on more than 200 botanical expeditions. She made it a family affair, bringing along her husband and five children.
Even after Mary and her daughter were held up by three armed men, she was not dissuaded from collecting, noting “It all took place so quickly we felt as though we were at the movies. I had often wondered how it would feel to be held up and really it was not so bad at all.”
Mary died as she had lived, on a botanical expedition in South Carolina at 82 years old. We can only hope that she fell in a field of green surrounded by exquisite flowers and wonderous wood lilies.
Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, and author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.
This article appears in August 28, 2026.