Yellow Mariposa Lily, Calochortus luteus

About Yellow Mariposa Lily (Calochortus luteus) 6 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Calochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily is a species of the Liliaceae endemic to California. This species is found on coastal prairie, grasslands and some open forest floors primarily in the central Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills. Like other Mariposa Lilies it grows from a bulb, with most of its growth occurring in winter, followed by spring flowering and summer dormancy. It requires good drainage and must be kept mostly dry in summer. The leaves arising directly from the bulbare strap-like and long. The flower is 3-5 centimeter across and primarily bright yellow, with sparse hair inside and often red-brown streaks or blotches. It is reported to be one of the easiest Mariposa Lilies to grow in the garden.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb

Size

1.6 ft tall
.5 ft wide

Form

Upright Columnar

Dormancy

Summer Deciduous

Flower Color

Yellow, Red

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Numerous insects are attracted to the flowers
Butterfly host plants

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Orange Tortrix Moth Argyrotaenia franciscanaArgyrotaenia franciscana

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 6

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -5° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils including sand and clay, but does not like too much organic matter. Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.0

Companion Plants

Plant with annuals, herbaceous perennials, or other geophytes, including Wild Onions (Allium sp.), Indian Milkweed (Asclepias eriocarpa), Brodiaea sp., Clarkia sp., Delphinium sp., California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica or other species), Bird's Eye Gilia (Gilia tricolor), Tidy Tips (Layia sp.), Lupines (Lupinus sp.), Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), Heliotrope (Phacelia sp.), Checkerbloom (Sidalcea sp.), Triteleia sp.

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones?

7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Grasslands or openings in woodlands, typically in somewhat hilly terrain. Plant Communities: Coastal Prairie, Mixed Evergreen Woodland, Oak Woodland, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 6.7" - 66.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.46", Coldest Month: 28.7" - 52.8", Hottest Month: 55.0" - 78.2", Humidity: 0.41" - 26.50", Elevation: -253" - 9387"

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Yellow Mariposa Lily

Calochortus luteus

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Yellow Mariposa LilyCalochortus luteus

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Yellow Mariposa Lily

Calochortus luteus