Grow Calochortus in soil that drains, then keep the bulbs dry after the leaves yellow. Sego lily is Calochortus nuttallii.
Give it soil that drains, winter moisture, and a dry summer rest
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, or light afternoon shade in a hot inland bed | Do not plant it in a wet, shaded low spot |
| Water | Winter rain while the leaves are up; stop once the foliage yellows | Do not water it all summer as if it were a lawn |
| Soil | Sand or loam that drains after rain, including a raised bed or a slope | Do not plant it in heavy clay that stays wet |
| After bloom | Leave the grasslike leaves until they brown, then leave the spot marked | Do not cut the leaves while they are still green |
Calochortus is a western bulb. It greens up with winter rain, blooms in late spring, and then the leaves yellow so the bulb can rest dry through summer. Give it soil that drains, and stop watering once those leaves fade, because summer wet is what rots the bulb. [1] Keep the bulbs completely dry from mid-summer into fall. [2] sego lily wants that dry sun. star-tulip wants the same dry rest even though it will take a little shade.
Does Calochortus need full sun?
Yes. Plant it in full sun, or with only light afternoon shade in a very hot inland bed. Do not tuck it into a wet, shaded low spot.
Should I water it in summer after the leaves yellow?
No. Once the leaves have yellowed, keep the bed dry. Summer water is the usual cause of bulb rot.
Plant nursery bulbs in fall, 3 to 4 inches deep
The usual start is a nursery bulb planted in fall, after the first rains if you garden in a winter-wet climate. Set bulbs 3 to 4 inches deep, pointed end up, in soil that drains. Buy nursery-propagated stock. Do not dig a wild colony, because a lifted wild bulb rarely takes. [3]
- Buy nursery-grown bulbs. Do not lift plants from a hillside or a roadside bank.
- Plant in fall. Set bulbs 3 to 4 inches deep, pointed end up, in soil that drains. [4]
- Space bulbs about 3 to 4 inches apart. Backfill, firm, and water in once. Then wait for winter rain unless the winter stays unusually dry.
- Mark the spot so you do not dig or plant over the dormant bulbs after the leaves disappear.
How deep do I plant the bulbs?
Plant nursery bulbs in fall 3 to 4 inches deep, pointed end up. Mark the spot so you do not disturb them after the leaves disappear.
Can I dig sego lily from a hillside?
No. Buy nursery-propagated plants. A wild bulb that is dug and moved rarely survives.
Not a true lily — and not sago palm or a pussy-ears houseplant
A shop search for lily usually means Lilium, a garden bulb with different water and feeding. See How to Grow Lilies. Star-tulip is this genus, not a Dutch tulip — see How to Grow Tulips. Sego lily is not sago palm, the cycad sold as a houseplant or patio plant. A shop search for pussy ears is usually Cyanotis, a trailing succulent related to Tradescantia, not this western bulb. See How to Grow Tradescantia. Chocolate lily on a tag is often Fritillaria; see How to Grow Fritillary. Confirm Calochortus on the Latin.
Is sego lily the same as sago palm?
No. Sago palm is a cycad. Sego lily is Calochortus nuttallii, a western bulb with tulip-like cups.
Is pussy ears the same as this plant?
Not on most shop searches. Pussy ears in a houseplant aisle is Cyanotis. Calochortus tolmiei is a western bulb with hairy inner petals.
If the leaves yellow in early summer, stop watering and leave the spot marked until fall — do not treat it like a lawn.
FAQ
Can I grow Calochortus in a pot?
You can start bulbs in a deep pot that drains, then keep that pot bone-dry once the leaves brown. If summer rain soaks an open bed, a pot you can move under cover is the simpler home.
Which kind should I buy?
Buy sego lily for an erect white to lilac cup in dry full sun, or star-tulip for a smaller hairy flower that takes some shade. Both need soil that drains and a dry summer rest. Fairy lanterns and globe lilies are nodding forms; buy nursery sego lily or star-tulip.
Can I eat the bulbs?
Native peoples and early settlers ate sego lily bulbs. Digging enough for a meal wrecks a garden clump, and wild colonies should stay in the ground. Death camas looks similar before it flowers — do not gather a wild bulb to eat.
Is sego lily Utah's state flower?
Yes. Grow the plant you bought as a western bulb that needs soil that drains and a dry summer rest.
How long from seed to bloom?
A flowering bulb from seed takes about three to five years. Buy a nursery bulb if you want bloom the first spring.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/calochortus/ - [2] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CANU3 - [3] USDA NRCS Plant Guide -
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_canu3.pdf - [4] Pacific Bulb Society -
https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/HowToGrowCalochortus
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors