Gunnison's Mariposa Lily Calochortus gunnisonii
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kal-uh-KOR-tus gun-nis-SON-ee-eye
- Description
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Gunnison's Mariposa is a species of purple or white flowering lily bulb native to western U.S.A. in the Rocky Mountains and Black Hills. This showy wildflower makes its home to dry meadows, sagebrush, and woodlands at fairly high elevations (3280-10,827 ft). The showy flowers are either white or purple and are quite exotic looking. Prefers a sunny location in moist to dry loams and rocky soils.
"Calochortus", from the Greek "kalos", means "beautiful", and "chortos" means "grass", refers to its grass-like green leaves. "Mariposa" is Spanish for "butterfly"
This plant is rare and hard to find and will most likely not do well in the hot humid climate of the SE.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- var perpulcher
pale yellow petals
- var perpulcher
- var perpulcher
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- var perpulcher
pale yellow petals
- var perpulcher
- var perpulcher
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Calochortus
- Species:
- gunnisonii
- Family:
- Marantaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Used as a food source by Native Americans and early settlers
- Life Cycle:
- Bulb
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Western U.S.A.
- Distribution:
- AZ , CO , MT , NE , NM , SD , UT , WY
- Edibility:
- The roots are sweet and edible
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Bulb
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- Three-angled capsules with flat seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Variegated
- White
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 2-3 rays/petals
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- 1-4 exotic 2 inch purple to white cup-shaped flowers with 3 wide petals, fringed membranes, a broken purple/maroon band above the yellow base of the petals and a purple blotch on the claw. Appear July-August.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Linear basal leaves are often withered by flowering time. Stem leaves are alternate and clasping up to 12 inches long and grass-like
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Thin green hairless stalks that may branch near the top
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
