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Liliaceae
Desert Mariposa Lily
Calochortus kennedyi
Hidden jewels.
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Calochortus
- Native to
- Southwestern United States, northern Mexico
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- bulb
- Height
- 4-8 in
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, gravelly, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 7-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Mariposa is Spanish for 'butterfly,' a nod to the flower's resemblance to butterfly wings.
- The petals have dramatic dark blotches at their bases that act as nectar guides for pollinators.
- The bulbs were a vital food for Indigenous peoples of the desert Southwest, eaten roasted or boiled.
- It's named for Patrick Kennedy, a 19th-century botanist who collected in the California desert.
- After flowering, the entire above-ground plant disappears until the next spring's rains.
Color meanings
0
fleeting splendor
1
rare beauty