Fairy Lantern

Did you know

• The nodding globe-shaped flowers hang like tiny paper lanterns from slender branching stems in California woodlands.
• Native Americans ate the starchy bulbs, which have a sweet flavor similar to potatoes when cooked.
• The genus name Calochortus means beautiful grass in Greek, referring to the grass-like leaves.
• Fairy lanterns grow in the dappled shade of oak woodlands and are among the most charming California native wildflowers.
• They are notoriously difficult to cultivate in gardens because they require a bone-dry summer dormancy period.

Color meanings

Uses

• native plant gardens
• woodland gardens
• botanical collections