Teratogenic beauty

Veratrum californicum, or corn lily, is highly poisonous and causes birth defects in grazing horses and sheep--luckily I have neither. The pleated leaves are gorgeous, and the flower stalk is awesome--it has been in the process of blooming for weeks, and is now over 6 feet tall.

Pleated leaves in early spring.

 Stretching to bloom--easy to see where it got the "corn lily" nickname

 Full bloom--both the overall effect and the individual florets are lovely! (just don't munch on this plant)

 

(For those who care to know, Schefflera delavayi and Datisca cannabina are in the lower foreground.)