Calochortus greenei
Native to California and Oregon, this Liliaceae perennial in the genus Calochortus bears 1–5 pink to light purple bell-shaped flowers with hairy inner surfaces on branching stems of 1–3 dm, a 20–25 mm winged capsule, blooms mid-summer on shrubby hillsides and dry slopes, and was first described by S. Watson in 1879.
Common Names
Greene's Mariposa Lily, Greene's Mariposa-Lily
Summary
Greene's mariposa lily is a perennial herb native to Oregon and California, with stems up to 30 cm tall and a basal leaf about 20 cm that does not wither during flowering. It grows on shrubby hillsides and open places in sun to part shade and produces 1–5 erect bell-shaped flowers with three sepals and three light purple petals with darker bases; petals measure 3–4 cm long and inner surfaces are densely haired; a winged capsule follows flowering.
Propagation is seed-based with 5–6 weeks stratification; prefers well-drained soils and sun to partial shade; water needs are low to very low, with no summer irrigation once established; outplanting requires well-drained, sandy acidic soils.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-12 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun and partial shade.
Soil Type
Dry, sandy, acidic, and serpentine soils.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained, dry soils
Soil pH
Acidic soil.
Bloom Color
Light purple
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Glaucous
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
3-4 years
Seasons of Interest
Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds (5–6 weeks stratification), Bulb offsets (vegetative reproduction)
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- S.Watson
- Publication
- Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 264 (1879)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Liliales
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Calochortus