Watsonia marginata

Fragrant bugle lily

Family: Iridaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Fragrant bugle lily is a naturalized perennial found in southern California coastal regions on disturbed ground and roadsides at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces orange-red flowers in tall, branching inflorescences with over 30 flowers. Growing with robust stems 1 to 1.5 meters tall, it develops 3 to 4 long leaves that are quite distinctive with heavily thickened margins. Its leaves extend 45 to 80 centimeters in length and are less than 5 centimeters wide, creating a dramatic vertical structure. The perianth reaches 3.5 to 4.5 centimeters long, with ovate-oblong lobes 1 to 1.5 centimeters in length.

Habitat: Disturbed ground, roadsides

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: SCo

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