A friend of mine told me about a small patch of Mariposa lilies that are currently blooming in the local foothills.  Mariposa lilies are fairly widespread throughout western North America, and can be white, yellow, purple, bluish, or streaked.  Regardless of the species, they are magnificent little flowers.  In our “local” patch, there are two species blooming, Palmer’s Mariposa lily (Calochortus palmerii), and the desert Mariposa lily (C. kennedyi).  Over the last few days, we’ve visited this patch a couple of times, hoping to find non-windy conditions; despite the spring gusts in southern California’s high desert, I managed to get some decent shots.  Hope you enjoy them!

Palmer's Mariposa Lily (C. palmerii)

Desert Mariposa Lily (C. kennedyi)

To see all of my Mariposa lily images, visit my new Mariposa lily page here.