Our Plants (List)

This mariposa brightens meadows and trail sides with one to several intricately patterned flowers in late spring and early summer. The clay mariposa is more tolerant of slow draining soils than most mariposas and is considered easy in the garden. Most critical is that the bulb not receive any moisture…

Catalina mariposa lily grows from just about sea level to the lower foothills of coastal mountains from Santa Barbara County to San Diego County. Catalina Island is one of several Channel Islands it calls home. It prefers open grasslands, so its numbers have been diminished by urbanization. It fills the…

The yellow mariposa lily is found in a variety of plant communities from the Channel Islands north to Redding. The lemon-yellow flowers with variable internal striations are held above the grass-like foliage (Calochortus = beautiful grass). In cultivation, Calochortus luteus is an adaptable mariposa, accepting a variety of soil types…

The “fairy lanterns” are grouped together under the subsection Pulchelli in the Calochortus genus. They are characterized by, among other things, pendent globe shaped flowers. As the name implies, the Mt. Diablo fairy lantern is endemic to Mt. Diablo in Contra Costa County, CA. There it can be found on…

This wide ranging mariposa occurs in widely varying sites from Glen County into Baja California. Its lavender flowers are a welcome sight among the drying foliage of late spring. Splendid mariposa accepts a range of conditions, but a well-draining site with a little shade protection is ideal. It does quite…