Flower profile

Yellow mariposa lily

Calochortus luteus

Yellow mariposa lily (Calochortus luteus) is a flowering plant in the Liliaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.

Native to California

Yellow mariposa lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

1states where USDA records it

9,825CA sightings*

9,825U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Calochortus luteus, the yellow mariposa lily, is a mariposa lily endemic to California.
From Wikipedia's article Calochortus luteus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Liliaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 9,825 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #95 among the 178 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in May–June.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,301 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Calochortus nuttalli” (Calochortus spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records yellow mariposa lily in 1 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 39 counties across 1 states; the most are in California (39).

Other Calochortus on Bloomipedia (9): White globe lily, Tolmie's pussy ears, Gunnison's mariposa lily, Sego lily, Sagebrush mariposa lily, Winding mariposa lily, White mariposa lily, Bruneau mariposa lily, Baker's mariposa lily.

More from the Liliaceae family (32 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Yellow trout lily, Cucumber root, Bluebead lily, White fawnlily, Checker lily, Glacier lily, Columbia lily, Hooker's fairybells.

More California flowers

White globe lily

Calochortus albus

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–June

Checker lily

Fritillaria affinis

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–April

Garden tulip

Tulipa gesneriana

🌷 Garden flower

🌷 Grown in California gardens

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CALU9.
iNaturalist, Calochortus luteus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Calochortus luteus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Calochortus luteus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Leah Gardner via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.