Calochortus -- TOW
Mary Sue Ittner (Sat, 06 Nov 2004 07:02:21 PST)

Dear All,

Diana Chapman has kindly taken the time to provide an introduction for
Calochortus so we can discuss it in the week or more ahead. Diana will be
taking over the editorship of Mariposa, the journal of the Calochortus
Society, and is no doubt working on her first issue and is very busy so I
really appreciate her doing this for me and all of us. Please share your
experiences growing Calochortus and ask questions you have about this genus
so we can have a good discussion.

Mary Sue

CALOCHORTUS TOW

Calochortus are truly the treasures of the American West, for while many
other genera of bulbous plants native to the west are also beautiful and
well worth growing, the variety of form and color found in this large genus
is unequalled. Fortunately, these lovely bulbs are becoming better known,
and a few of the easier species are available from commerce.

The taxonomy of the genus can be somewhat confusing, and there are areas
that are in desperate need of revision. For ease of identification, I will
give the following more descriptive approach, grouping the genus into three
main categories: Mariposa lilies; Star Tulips and Cat's Ears; and Fairy
Lanterns.

Mariposa lilies: These are tall graceful plants with large upward-facing
bowl-shaped flowers that come in a spectacular range of colors. Many
species have intricate petals markings that add great beauty to the
flower. These are largely bulbs of lowland grasslands, although some can
also be found at higher elevations and in desert regions.

Many Mariposa Lilies are adaptable and easy to grow, while the high
elevation ones are much more challenging.

Calochortus luteus is one of the easiest to grow, and is available from the
supplier of Dutch grown bulbs. This is a widespread Calochortus of the
foothills of California's northern mountain ranges. It has large,
brilliant yellow upward-facing flowers, variably marked inside with
chestnut brown.

Calochortus superbus is likewise, very widespread, its range often
overlapping C. luteus. It has large white flowers, sometimes washed with
purple on the outside of the petals. It, too, is easy to grow.

Calochortus vestae is a magnificent north Coast Range species with huge
flowers appearing late in the spring, white tinted and streaked purple, and
with beautiful inner markings. There are populations that have pink
flowers, and even some of a deep purple.

Calochortus venustus is everyone's favorite, since it has the greatest
color range of any Calochortus species. The large bowl-shaped flowers
range from purest white to all shades of yellow, pink, purple and the
deepest crimson. Most of the Mariposas have a basal spot to the petal, but
C. venustus usually has another spot, known as an echo spot, on the outer
inner petal that is often beautifully colored. C. venustus is found in the
Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ranges, with the more colorful ones
concentrated in southern California.

The challenging Mariposas include those of the desert, such as C. kennedyi,
with its gorgeous vermilion flowers, and the high altitude ones, such as C.
gunnisonii from the Rocky Mountains. They can be grown, but take
dedication and experience to succeed.

Star Tulips and Cat's Ears: These are usually small plants with petals
that are either smooth (Star Tulips), or densely covered with silky hairs
(Cat's Ears). Whoever coined the common name "Cat's Ears" could not have
chosen a more suitable term, since the hairy petals look exactly like the
inside of a cat's ear. Many of these species grow at higher elevations
than Mariposas, although C. tolmiei can be found on coastal bluffs that
drop down to the surf, as well as at elevations up to 5,000 ft. in the
Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada.

Calochortus tolmiei is the most charming of all the Cat's Ears, with its
neat petals completely covered in silky hairs. It is a wonderful
rock-garden plant, and comes in a range of colors from white to lavender,
pink or purple, often with deep purple or wine colored centers.

Calochortus monophyllus is found growing in the shade of shrubby thickets
in the Sierra Nevada. It is deep yellow, often with a dark red basal spot
to the petal.

Calochortus uniflorus is one of the Star Tulips with petals that are
largely hairless, having satiny pink petals and deep lavender
anthers. This species is one of the easiest to grow, and also has a long
bloom season. Other Star Tulips include C. umbellatus, C. nudus and C.
minimus.

Fairy Lanterns (or Globe Tulips): The pendulous, globe-shaped blooms of
this group hang down from the stem, quite unlike other species. These
lovely plants are usually found growing in light shade under shrubs and
trees on sloping banks.

Calochortus albus, found in the Coast Ranges, as well as the Sierra Nevada,
is a translucent pearly white, although red varieties are also found, the
red hue varying from rusty tints to a beautiful deep purple-red. Each
arching stem may carry as many as ten or more flowers.

Calochortus amabilis from the Coast Ranges is bright yellow, and is
commonly known as "Diogenes' Lantern".

Calochortus amoenus is a most beautiful rose pink, and comes from the
foothills of the central Sierra Nevada.

Growing Calochortus

Most Calochortus come from the Mediterranean-type climate of the western
USA, growing during the cool rainy winter, then blooming in the spring and
going dormant in summer, when they must be kept dry. The exceptions are
the high altitude species which are dormant in winter, emerging soon after
the snow melts to bloom from mid to late summer.

Bulbs can be purchased from suppliers, and there are a few suppliers of
wild-collected seed. Most Calochortus are easy to grow from seed, the seed
germinating very readily without any kind of special
treatment. High-altitude species, however, do need a period of
stratification, usually in a refrigerator, to simulate the cold conditions
they would experience in nature. Most seed should be sown in the Fall,
coinciding with the commencement of the winter rains in California. In
regions with mild spring temperatures, sowing can occur up until January or
even February, but in areas where spring temperatures can be warm the small
seedlings can be forced to go dormant before the bulbs have developed
sufficiently if they are sown too late. The easier species can be sown and
left outside sheltered from the most severe weather, while seed of
high-altitude species can be placed in a ziplock bag with barely dampened
vermiculite and left in the refrigerator until the seed starts to
germinate, at which time they must be removed and sown as usual. Seed that
is stratified can take anywhere from two weeks to three or four months to
germinate, depending upon the species.

Many of the easier Calochortus will mature and bloom in three years if
grown well, while the high altitude species and desert species take longer.