Sego Lily (Calochortus nutallii)

Sego Lily, Mount Olympus, June 21, 2008, David Kenison.  Click to enlarge.

Also known as Nuttall's Mariposa. The species name nuttallii recognizes English naturalist Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859), curator of the Harvard Botanic Gardens. He collected the Sego Lily in 1811 on a trip along the upper Missouri River.

The flower grows on a slender, erect stem that is typically 7-10 inches long. The three petals, 2-3 inches in diameter, are typically pure white in the Wasatch mountains; but can vary to purple or yellow hues. The inner center shows a beautiful purple crescent with a fringe of bright yellow, attracting the pollinators. The plant's basal leaves are long and grass-like but typically wither by flowering time; small leaves may be found on the stems. They prefer dry, sunny exposure at elevations from 5000' to 7000' in the Wasatch.

Sego is a Shoshone word thought to mean "edible bulb"; Ute Indians called it "sago" and considered the bulb a delicacy. They were roasted or boiled, or made into a porridge-like dish.

When the early Mormon settlers suffered from hunger, particularly in the early years, they ate the bulbs that grow underground like a small onion in large quantities. One pioneer, Elizabeth Huffaker, recorded: "Along the month of April we noticed all the foothills were one glorious flower garden. The snow had gone, the ground was warm. We dug thousands of sego roots, for we heard that the Indians had lived on them for weeks and months. We relished them and carried them home in bucketfuls. How the children feasted on them, particularly when they were dried, for they tasted like butternuts."

In recognition of the importance of the plant, it was designated as Utah's state flower in 1911; and in 1913, the LDS Relief Society chose it as their official emblem. It's said to be illegal to dig up the flower now.

These flowers show the early stages of the budding in June 2020, Orem foothills:

The flowers shown here were photographed by the author in the foothills of the Mount Olympus trail on May 31, 2014 and in the Broads Fork drainage on July 4, 2013 (center image).  Click to view detail.

Additional information:
Utah State University Extension Services
USDA information page