Mariposa Lily

Catalina Mariposa Lily

Calochortus species

I apologize for the hiatus. I’ve been getting settled into my new life in Kansas. Expect to see more Kansas species posts in future! But for today, we travel to California to look at one of the most beautiful flowers in the world – the Mariposa Lily.
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To me Mariposa Lilies are the flowers you would make a tea cup out of or one that fairies would nap in. They are aptly described as goblet-shaped. Mariposa Lilies are bulbs, so they return year after year and are most likely to sprout after a fire. They begin sprouting in March and die off at the beginning of the dry season, which is usually May-June. They all have three petals and come in a variety of colors.
 
There are five identified species in the Santa Monica Mountains.

• Catalina Mariposa Lily (Calochortus catalinae) – From my experience, these are the most common Mariposa Lilies, at least judging by the number of photos I have on them. They are white with hints of pink or blue and are not hairy.
• Plummers Mariposa Lily (Calochortus plummerae) – This Lily reminds me a bit of the Sarlacc from Star Wars because the interior is so hairy. It is yellow with pink edges and obviously quite hairy. 
• Yellow Mariposa Lily (Calochortus clavatus) - This Lily is super eye-catching. It stands out like a beacon in a field. As you would expect, it's notable characteristic is that it is yellow.
• Splendid Mariposa Lily (Calochortus splendens) – I'm fairly certain I have not seen one of these because I had come across a purple Mariposa Lily, I would have remembered! They are lilac with hairs near the base of the flower.
• Butterfly Mariposa Lily (Calochortus venustus) – The name of this Lily cracks me up because "Mariposa" means butterfly in Spanish, so this is the Butterfly Butterfly Lily. I'm not sure why they didn't name it the Venus Mariposa Lily like the scientific name. I don't believe I have had the privilege of seeing one of these either. They are white with pink spot on each petal.

I hope you all have the opportunity to hunt out some of these flowers. They are worth the effort!

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Plummers Mariposa Lily

Yellow Mariposa Lily

Splendid Mariposa Lily by Steve Berardi on Wikimedia

Butterfly Mariposa Lily by Eric in SF on Wikimedia