Cat's ears
Common Name
Cat's ears
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Scientific Name
Calochortus lyallii
Scientific Pronunciation
kal-uh-KOR-tus ly-AL-lee-eye
Plant Family
Liliaceae
Plant Origin
Native
Duration
Perennial
Color
White
Plant Type
Wildflower
Typical Bloom (varies by elevation)
May
Additional Common Names
Lyall's mariposa lily, Lyall's mariposa-lily
This small lily grows from a bulb and has one to several white flowers with petals, sepals and
stamens in multiples of three. The hairy-edged petals look like a cat’s ear with a purple
“eyebrow” at its base. The erect stem is four to twenty inches tall, with a flat leaf four to eight
inches long and three quarter inch wide coming from the base.