Calochortus luteus
Yellow mariposa lily
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Liliaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Calochortus luteus (Yellow mariposa lily) is a native California herb in the Liliaceae family, recognized by distinctive deep yellow flowers with red-brown markings.
Yellow mariposa lily is a California native perennial found in central California Mountains, northern Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada Foothills, Central Valley, central Coast, and northern Channel Islands in grassland, woodland, and mixed-evergreen forest at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces deep yellow flowers 20 to 40 millimeters long with distinctive red-brown markings and lines inside the bell-shaped petals. Growing with slender stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall and featuring small bulblets, it emerges from a delicate underground structure. Its basal leaves are narrowly linear, measuring 10 to 20 centimeters long and withering as the plant matures. The fruit is an erect, narrowly lanceolate capsule 3 to 6 centimeters long with a long-tapered tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 30 sympatric species; distinctive deep yellow flowers with red-brown markings
Habitat and range
Habitat: Heavy soils in grassland, woodland, mixed-evergreen forest
Elevation: < 700 m
California counties: Santa Cruz, Marin, Butte, Amador, Calaveras, Monterey, Madera, Tuolumne, Sutter, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Alameda, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, San Mateo, Tulare, Nevada, Lake, Mariposa, San Bernardino, Placer, Glenn, Napa, Tehama, Fresno, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Plumas, San Joaquin, Colusa, Stanislaus, Contra Costa, El Dorado, San Benito, Shasta, Solano, Mendocino, San Francisco, Yuba, Los Angeles, Humboldt, Kern, Yolo, Ventura
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Calochortus luteus blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Clarkia: Calochortus has 6 stamens and grass-like leaves; Clarkia has 8 stamens and broad stem leaves.; vs Fritillaria: Calochortus flowers open upward/outward in cups; Fritillaria flowers hang downward like bells.; vs Thismia: Calochortus has green leaves and open flowers; Thismia is leafless with closed tubular flowers.; vs Eschscholzia: Calochortus has 6 petals and parallel-veined leaves; Eschscholzia has 4 petals and divided leaves.; vs Sidalcea: Calochortus has 6 petals and grass-like leaves; Sidalcea has 5 petals and rounded lobed leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Calochortus luteus native to California?
Yes. Calochortus luteus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Calochortus luteus bloom?
Calochortus luteus blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Calochortus luteus grow?
Calochortus luteus occurs in Santa Cruz, Marin, Butte, Amador, Calaveras, Monterey, Madera, Tuolumne and other counties, at elevations of < 700 m.
What plant family does Calochortus luteus belong to?
Calochortus luteus is in the Liliaceae family, genus Calochortus.
What habitat does Calochortus luteus grow in?
Calochortus luteus grows in Heavy soils in grassland, woodland, mixed-evergreen forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.