Cluster-Lilies are perennial bulbs (corms) in the Brodiea, Dichelostemma, and Triteleia genera of the asparagus family. Many of them are native to the Yuba-Sutter area.
Harvest Cluster-Lily
Harvest cluster-lily (Brodiaea elegans) on the northern edge of Beale Air Force Base. Photo by queerbychoice. Harvest cluster-lily can occasionally be seen on the levees surrounding Marysville. It is a one-foot-tall, purple-flowering, summer-deciduous cluster-lily that is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 7,000 feet. It is most often found on slopes in central oak woodland, valley grassland, or yellow pine forest. It prefers dry sunny areas, but tolerates some moisture year-round. It looks virtually identical to crown cluster-lily. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Golden Prettyface
Golden prettyface (Triteleia ixioides) blooms in a garden in Marysville. Photo by queerbychoice. Golden prettyface is a yellow-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Sutter County and typically grows at elevations below 10,000 feet. It is found in central oak woodland, valley grassland, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands. It prefers moist sunny areas with excellent drainage. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers. Botanist Amos Arthur Heller collected golden prettyface on a grassy slope in the Sutter Buttes in 1914.1
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Crown Cluster-Lily
Crown cluster-lily is a purple-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Sutter County and typically grows at elevations below 5,500 feet. It is most often found on slopes in central oak woodland, Valley Grassland, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands. It prefers dry sunny areas with seasonal moisture. It looks virtually identical to harvest cluster-lily. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Wild Hyacinth
Wild hyacinth (also called roundtooth ookow or many-flowered snakelily) is a purple-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 5,000 feet. It is found in central oak woodland or yellow pine forest. It prefers dry sunny areas with good drainage. It looks similar to forktooth ookow but is usually smaller, paler, and pinker. Monarch and Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Bridges' Prettyface
Bridges' prettyface is a purple-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 3,000 feet. It is found in central oak woodland or yellow pine forest. It prefers dry sunny areas with good drainage, and tolerates serpentine. It looks similar to Ithuriel's spear but has whitish petal bases and tips and usually blooms later. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
California Cluster-Lily
California cluster-lily is a one- to two-foot-tall, purple-flowering, summer-deciduous cluster-lily that is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 2,500 feet. It is found in central oak woodland or valley grassland. It prefers dry sunny areas. It tolerates serpentine. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Dwarf Cluster-Lily
Dwarf cluster-lily is a purple-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 3,500 feet. It is found in central oak woodland or valley grassland. It prefers dry sunny areas with seasonal moisture. It looks virtually identical to Sierra cluster-lily. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Appendage Cluster-Lily
Appendage cluster-lily is a purple-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Sutter County and typically grows at elevations below 2,000 feet. It is most often found on slopes in central oak woodland or valley grassland. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Ithuriel's Spear
Ithuriel's spear is a one-foot-tall, purple-flowering, deciduous cluster-lily that is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 4,500 feet. It is found in central oak woodland. It prefers dry sunny areas with good drainage. It looks similar to Bridges' prettyface but does not have whitish petal bases or tips and usually blooms earlier. pipevine swallowtail, pale swallowtail, Anise swallowtail, and Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers. Amos Arthur Heller collected Ithuriel's spear on Marysville Road (between Everglade Trail and Tomahawk Trail) in Browns Valley in 1940.2
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Forktooth Ookow
Forktooth ookow is a one- to two-foot-tall, purple-flowering, summer-deciduous cluster-lily that is native to Sutter County and typically grows at elevations below 6,500 feet. It is found in central oak woodland. It prefers dry sunny areas with good drainage, but tolerates partial shade. It looks similar to wild hyacinths but is larger, darker, and bluer. It also looks similar to blue dicks but blooms later and does not have purplish bracts. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Twining Snakelily
Twining snakelily is a pink-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 2,500 feet. It is found in central oak woodland. It prefers dry sunny areas with good drainage, but tolerates partial shade and some moisture year-round. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Sierra Cluster-Lily
Sierra cluster-lily is a purple-flowering cluster-lily that is native to Yuba County. It is found in central oak woodland. It prefers dry sunny areas with intense heat, and tolerates serpentine. It looks virtually identical to dwarf cluster-lily. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Blue Dick
Blue dick is a one-foot-tall, purple-flowering, summer-deciduous cluster-lily that is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 7,500 feet. It is found in yellow pine forest or riparian forest. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands. It prefers sunny areas with good drainage. It looks similar to forktooth ookow but blooms earlier and has purplish bracts below the flowers. pipevine swallowtail, Propertius duskywing, pale swallowtail, Anise swallowtail, and Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
White Cluster-Lily
White cluster-lily is a one- to three-foot-tall, white-flowering, deciduous cluster-lily that is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 7,000 feet. It is found in riparian forest. It prefers sunny areas with good drainage. Northern cloudywing butterflies drink the nectar of its flowers.
You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.
Footnotes
1. Consortium of California Herbaria
2. Consortium of California Herbaria
