Calochortus luteus
A California-endemic, bulb-forming perennial lily with vibrant golden-yellow, upward-facing, bowl-shaped flowers on 1–2 ft tall stems that bloom in late spring to early summer and go dormant in summer, thriving in heavy soils across coastal prairies, grasslands, and open woodlands.
Common Names
Yellow Mariposa Lily, Yellow Mariposa
Summary
Yellow mariposa lily is a bulb-forming perennial native to California, with grass-like basal leaves and slender stems bearing 1–4 bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers in an umbel-like cluster; flowers are 3–5 cm across, often with a central red-brown blotch and sparse hairs near the base, on an upright plant about 30–50 cm tall and 10–15 cm wide.
Grows in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil and requires very dry summers; watering during dormancy causes rot, and the plant tolerates drought once established; it can be grown in pots or used in landscape design, and is propagated by seed sown when ripe or in early spring and by division after flowering; seeds germinate in 1–6 months at 15°C; bulbs are edible raw or cooked and were used as staple food by Native Americans.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-24 inches
Spread
4-6 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-7
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained, sandy soil
Soil Drainage
Very well-drained to well-drained soil, preferably deep, sandy, freely draining
Soil pH
6.0-7.0, Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soils.
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
6-8 months
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division (bulbs), Stem bulbils, Bulblets in leaf axils (vegetative propagation)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Douglas ex Lindl.
- Publication
- Edwards's Bot. Reg. 19: t. 1567 (1833)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Liliales
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Calochortus