Sagebrush Mariposa Lily (Calochortus macrocarpus)

Known as the sagebrush mariposa lily, Calochortus macrocarpus is a perennial plant from the Liliaceae family, native to North America. You can find it throughout the northwest in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, northern California, northern Nevada, and a bit of southern British Columbia. It mostly grows in the Great Basin and Cascade Ranges.

This plant has blue-green, grass-like leaves and bulbs that look kind of like carrots. Its flowers are big and come in lavender to white, with sepals that are a bit longer than the petals. They have a green medial line running through the outer petals. Inside, dense, soft yellowish hairs cover the nectaries, and there’s a purple band right above them. They bloom in June and July, standing out among the crispy shrubbery and grasses they grow alongside.

Associates include ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana), Arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). I found this population at the Lyle Cherry Orchard in the Columbia River Gorge. After searching for this flower for about three years, I finally saw it in full bloom, with bees and beetles going crazy for it. Even though it’s no longer spring, there are still so many amazing flowers blooming if you know where to look!