Superb Mariposa Lily
Calochortus superbus
A mariposa lily whose broad cupped petals — white, cream or lavender — carry a bold yellow blotch ringed in dark red at the base, framing a nectary of striking complexity. Highly variable between populations. Needs a completely dry summer dormancy; the usual cause of failure is irrigation, not cold.
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 1–2 ft
- Spacing
- 0.25–0.5 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Bloom
- May, June, July
- Bloom colors
- white, yellow, purple
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- border, naturalizing
- Native states
- CA
Related native plants
More Calochortus species
- White Mariposa Lily (Calochortus venustus)
- Sego Lily (Calochortus nuttallii)
- Doubting Mariposa Lily (Calochortus ambiguus)