Calochortus Species, Desert Mariposa Lily, Flame Mariposa, Kennedy's Mariposa

Per Jan Emming owner of the Destination:Forever Ranch and Gardens, a 40 acre desert botanical garden and sustainable living homestead in ...Read Morethe Arizona desert with a nursery:

I wait 2 or more years at a time to see these beautiful native bulbs come into bloom. One of the most wonderful shades of deep orange possible, the desert mariposa lily (Calochortus kennedyi) appears only every other year or so on average, skipping dry years and waiting for better conditions before they emerge with these sunny flowers which resemble small tulips. Despite being perfect for Halloween with their orange and black color theme, these are strictly spring bloomers.

I've noticed that in recent years more and more seedling lily bulbs are starting to grow on the rocky hillsides they favor. They begin with one single grasslike leaf that is barely noticeable, and for a seed to develop to flowering maturity probably takes 6 to 8 years if not longer under natural rainfall conditions. I attribute the new crop of seedlings to my fencing, which excludes cattle, and to my rodent control efforts, which allows more seed pods to be set and the seed to be successfully scattered. Desert mariposas are edible to many animals and bulbs tend to be confined to rocky soils where they can escape from the digging activities of small rodents like mice and ground squirrels. In the presence of cattle and other livestock, the bulbs usually survive primarily within the protection of shrubs such as Krameria, buckwheat, and bursage. But since I have removed the threats of large herbivores in the past 6 years, these new seedlings are popping up in open spaces as well now. I look forward to seeing them reach flowering size over the next 5 to 6 years and becoming a more prominent part of my local flora.

So far, I can't address winter hardiness. Germination was dead easy--put seeds in a pot filled with damp seed-starting mix, cover with d...Read Moreecomposed granite or granite grit, and set outside in the elements for a couple of months. Supposedly this variety likes the erratic, dry climate of high Western deserts.