Leucocrinum montanum

Common starlily

Family: Agavaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Common starlily is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, and Modoc Plateau in sandy flats, sagebrush scrub, juniper woodland, and montane forest at elevations of 1,000 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pure white, star-shaped flowers 5 to 10 centimeters long with six spreading lobes, creating a dramatic salverform perianth. Growing without a visible stem, it emerges from a short, often deep caudex with fleshy roots and spreading linear leaves 10 to 20 centimeters long that emerge from a base sheathed by membranous bracts. Its basal leaves are slender and linear, emerging directly from the ground in a distinctive rosette pattern. The fruit is a small 5 to 8 millimeter, three-angled capsule containing black, angled seeds.

Habitat: Sandy flats, sagebrush scrub, juniper woodland, montane forest

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1000-1500 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, MP

California counties: Modoc, Lassen, El Dorado, Plumas, Nevada, Siskiyou, Shasta, Sierra, Mono

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