Calochortus invenustus
Native to California and Nevada, this bulbous Liliaceae perennial grows up to about 20–50 cm tall with a slender stem and a withering basal leaf, bears 1–6 erect white to light purple bell-shaped flowers from May through August in dry granitic montane conifer forests at 1500–3000 m, and its bulb was used as food by Indigenous peoples.
Common Names
Plain Mariposa Lily, Shy Mariposa Lily
Summary
Plain Mariposa Lily is a perennial herb native to western North America, with a basal leaf rosette and an erect stem bearing a single flower, growing in dry, open habitats such as grasslands and chaparral; flowers are white or pale pink with a yellow center.
In cultivation it appears as an ornamental in rock gardens and flower beds; it is a bulb-forming perennial that prefers well-drained soils; propagation is by seed or by dividing bulbs, with seeds sown in fall and bulbs divided in spring; its distribution in the western United States ranges from California to Montana.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
19.5-20 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates partial shade.
Soil Type
Dry, granitic, well-drained soils.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Bloom Color
White to light purple
Bloom Time
Spring and Summer
Foliage Color
Glaucous
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division (bulbs)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies, moths
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Greene
- Publication
- Pittonia 2: 71 (1890)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Liliales
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Calochortus