Story: South Canterbury region

An iconic lily

An iconic lily

The Mt Cook lily (Ranunculus lyallii) is in fact a buttercup – the world’s largest. It can grow up to 1.5 metres tall and has large leathery leaves and delicate white flowers. It is probably New Zealand’s best known alpine plant, partly because it is the emblem for Mt Cook Airlines. Aoraki/Mt Cook is in the background, with the Hooker Glacier below.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Jock Phillips

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How to cite this page:

John Wilson, 'South Canterbury region - Climate, vegetation and wildlife', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/11315/an-iconic-lily (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by John Wilson, updated 1 Feb 2017