Calochortus, the mariposa lily genus, is a group of about 70 bulbous perennial wildflowers native to western North America, with cupped or globe-shaped blooms in white, yellow, pink, red-orange or purple. Most species need a dry summer rest and good drainage, so the bulbs should be kept dry while dormant.
Family
Liliaceae (Lily family)
Grows as
Grass, Bulb, Perennial
Light
Part shade
Water
Water moderately during spring growth, then keep bulbs dry through summer dormancy.
Soil
Fast-draining, gritty or sandy mix.
Temperature
Hardy in cool to mild climates; protect from hard frost in pots.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Not toxic to cats or dogs (ASPCA).
About
Calochortus is a genus of flowering plants in the lily family. The group includes herbaceous, perennial and bulbous species, all native to North America (primarily the Western United States).
The genus Calochortus includes mariposas (or mariposa lilies) with open wedge-shaped petals, globe lilies and fairy lanterns with globe-shaped flowers, and cat's ears and star tulips with erect pointed petals. The word Calochortus is derived from Greek and means "beautiful grass".
Where it grows
Calochortus includes approximately 70 species distributed from southwestern British Columbia, through California and Mexico, to northern Guatemala and eastwards to New Mexico, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Calochortus is the most widely dispersed genus of Liliaceae on the North American Pacific Coast. Of these, 28 species are endemic to California.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Calochortus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.