Calochortus catalinae

Catalina mariposa lily

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS CBR

Catalina mariposa lily is a native perennial ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in southern coastal California regions including the Channel Islands, western Transverse Ranges, and northern Peninsular Ranges in open grasslands and scrub at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from March to May, this lily produces large white petals tinged with lilac and purple spots, with elegant wedge-shaped flowers 20 to 50 millimeters long and deep purple filaments. Growing 20 to 70 centimeters tall with generally branched stems above ground and distinctive bulblets, it develops an erect structure with reduced cauline leaves. Its basal leaves are flat and 10 to 30 centimeters long, typically withering during flowering, while the flower bracts range from 2 to 10 centimeters in length. The fruit is an erect, narrowly oblong capsule 2 to 5 centimeters long, containing light tan seeds with a distinctive net-like surface.

Habitat: Heavy soil, open grassland or scrub

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 700 m

Bioregions: s CCo, s SCoRO, w SCo, esp ChI, w edge WTR, SnGb, n PR.

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, San Diego, Humboldt, Nevada, El Dorado, San Benito, Riverside

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.