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Asparagaceae
Desert Lily
Hesperocallis undulata
Miracle of the desert.
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Hesperocallis
- Native to
- Southwestern United States, Northwestern Mexico
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- perennial bulb
- Height
- 1-6 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, well-drained, desert
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 8-11
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Desert lily blooms only after sufficient winter rainfall, sometimes remaining dormant underground for years.
- The bulb can be buried as deep as 18 inches in the sand, insulating it from extreme desert heat.
- Its large, funnel-shaped white flowers have a sweet fragrance and open in the evening to attract hawk moth pollinators.
- Hesperocallis is a monotypic genus — the desert lily is the only species in its genus.
- Native peoples of the Sonoran Desert roasted and ate the bulbs, which are said to taste similar to garlic.
Color meanings
0
rare beauty
1
perseverance