Clubhair mariposa lily, Arroyo de la Cruz mariposa lily
Calochortus clavatus
Family: Calochortaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early summer. Form: Upright or erect.
Calochortus clavatus is a BULB growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from April to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Dry, often rocky slopes below 1200 metres, usually on serpentine soils.
South-western N. America - California.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Bulb - raw or cooked.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Alpine garden, Border, Rock garden. Requires a deep very well-drained fertile sandy soil in a hot sunny position and must be kept dry over winter. The bulb requires reasonable moisture from early winter until summer but must then be kept dry. This is a rather difficult plant to cultivate in Britain, it is a very cold hardy plant but is intolerant of wetness especially in the winter. It is easiest to grow in a bulb frame but is worth trying outdoors at the base of a south-facing wall, especially with shrubs that like these conditions. It should not be crowded by other plants. Bulbs have succeeded in a cold frame with the cover removed from March to October. Bulbs can be lifted as soon as the foliage dies down in the summer and stored overwinter in a cool dry place, replanting in spring. Bulbs frequently divide after flowering, the bulblets taking 2 years to reach flowering size. Hand pollination is necessary if seed is required. Special Features:North American native, Naturalizing.
Propagating it: Seed - sow as soon as ripe or early spring in a cold frame in a very sharply draining medium. Stratification may be helpful. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 6 months at 15°c. Leave the seedlings undisturbed for their first two years growth, but give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. It is quite difficult to get the seedlings through their first period of dormancy since it is all too easy either to dry them out completely or keep them too moist when they will rot. After their second year of growth, pot up the dormant bulbs in late summer and grow them on for at least another 2 years in the greenhouse before trying them outside. Seedlings take about 5 - 7 years to come into flower. Division of the bulbs as soon as the foliage dies down. The bulbs can be planted straight out into their permanent positions but in areas with wet winters it might be best to store them overwinter and replant them in the spring. Stem bulbils, harvested from the stems after flowering. They can be stored cool and dry then planted in pots in the cold frame in the spring.
Best place to grow: East Wall. By. South Wall. By.
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 8-10
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist