Calochortus flexuosus
A long-lived perennial lily with contorted stems and a yellow band at the base of white to pink petals, restricted to dry, rocky habitats in southwestern Colorado, with about 6,000–9,000 plants across 15 known occurrences, and facing threats from exotic species, oil/gas development, grazing, motorized recreation, and small populations, requiring inventory and monitoring for conservation.
Common Names
Winding Mariposa Lily, Straggling Mariposa Lily, Mariposa Lily
Summary
The winding mariposa lily is a bulbous perennial in the lily family native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, occurring in desert scrub such as creosote-bush and sagebrush habitats at elevations of about 600–1,700 m. It forms slender, winding or scrambling stems 10–40 cm long with basal leaves that wither by flowering, and bears 1–6 erect, bell-shaped flowers whose white petals are lilac-tinged and feature a solid yellow band at the base with a purple spot near the gland; fruit is an erect capsule 3–4 cm long, and flowering occurs in spring (approximately April–June).
Grows in full sun on dry, well-drained sandy or gravelly soils and is drought-tolerant once established; hardy to USDA zones 7a–10b; commonly used in rock gardens and native bulb displays; reproduction occurs by bulbs and by seed pods that split open to scatter flat tan seeds when the wind blows; bulbs edible when cooked (roasted or boiled); pollinated by native solitary bees (Anthophora, Osmia, Perdita) with occasional bee flies and syrphid flies.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6-18 inches
Spread
4-12 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 7a-8b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Dry, rocky, well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
Neutral to basic (mildly alkaline) soils.
Bloom Color
Pink to lavender to white, sometimes with a yellow band at the base
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Blue
Fall Foliage Color
Blue
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow-growing
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Bulblets (rare)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- S.Watson
- Publication
- Amer. Naturalist 7: 303 (1873)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Liliales
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Calochortus