Calochortus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calochortus |
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| Sego Lily (Calochortus nuttallii) | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Liliaceae |
| Subfamily: | Calochortoideae |
| Genus: | Calochortus Pursh |
| Type species | |
| Calochortus elegans Pursh
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| Synonyms | |
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Calochortus is a group of beautiful flowering plants that belong to the lily family. These plants are perennials, meaning they live for more than two years. They grow from bulbs, like tulips or onions. All Calochortus plants are originally from North America, mostly the Western United States.
The name Calochortus comes from Greek words meaning "beautiful grass." You might know these flowers by their common names, like mariposa lilies (which have open, wedge-shaped petals), globe lilies or fairy lanterns (with round, globe-shaped flowers), and cat's ears or star tulips (which have petals that stand up straight and are pointed).
Contents
What do Calochortus Flowers Look Like?
Calochortus plants usually grow one or more flowers on a stem. These stems pop up from the bulb in spring or early summer. Unlike many other plants in the lily family, the petals and sepals of Calochortus flowers are different in size and color.
Their flowers come in many colors, such as white, yellow, pink, purple, or even bluish. Some can even be streaked with different colors! If you look closely inside the petals, you'll often see tiny hairs. These hairs, along with special nectar-producing parts called nectaries, help scientists tell different Calochortus species apart.
One famous Calochortus flower is the Sego Lily. It is the state flower of Utah!
Where do Calochortus Plants Grow?
There are about 70 different kinds of Calochortus plants. They grow across a wide area, from southwestern British Columbia in Canada, down through California and Mexico, and even into northern Guatemala. You can also find them stretching east to places like New Mexico, Nebraska, and the Dakotas.
Calochortus is the most widespread type of lily plant along the Pacific Coast of North America. About 28 of these species are endemic to California. This means they grow naturally only in California and nowhere else in the world!
Scientists have studied these plants and found that different types of Calochortus prefer different homes:
- Mariposa lilies like dry grasslands, open shrublands, and semi-deserts.
- Star-tulips prefer wet meadows.
- Cat's ears are found in mountain woodlands.
- Fairy lanterns grow in oak woodlands and thick forests.
How People Use Calochortus Plants
Food and Medicine
Long ago, Native Americans often ate the bulbs of many Calochortus species. They would eat them raw or boil them after gathering them in the fall. Young, fresh flower buds were also eaten.
During a difficult time between 1853 and 1858, when crops failed, Mormon settlers in the Great Salt Lake Valley also ate these bulbs to survive. Native Americans called Calochortus plants "sego." They used them not only for food but also in their ceremonies and as traditional medicines.
Gardening and Beauty
Some types of Calochortus are grown as ornamental plants because their flowers are so beautiful. Special plant nurseries and botanic gardens sell them. People plant the bulbs in their gardens to enjoy the flowers. They are great for traditional gardens, native plant gardens, and even wildlife gardens. You can also plant them in rock gardens or pots. They are good for places where you don't water much in the summer, as they like to rest during that time.
Images for kids
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Calochortus gunnisonii var. gunnisonii
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Calochortus subalpinus
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Calochortus gunnisonii, Teller County, CO
See also
In Spanish: Calochortus para niños
