Desert Lily Sanctuary (3596)

Desert Lily Sanctuary

Tasker and Beula Edmiston first observed the desert lily on Easter Sunday 1957. The Edmistons worked tirelessly with the Bureau of Land Management to protect this outstanding natural area. On Easter Sunday 1968, this 2,000 acre site was selected for protection because of its spectacular floral values. Today the Desert Lily Sanctuary is preserved by the California Desert Protection Act.

The Desert Lily prefers dry, sandy flats below 2,000 feet elevation. The plant's bulb may lie dormant underground for many years waiting for ideal conditions to bloom. In the wet spring months when the amount of moisture, sunlight, and temperature are right, the stem sprouts from a bulb buried 18 to 24 inches underground. The mature plant may be several feet tall with a flower cluster at least a foot long. Each blossom is approximately two inches long. This magnificent flower presents a woundrous view.

Desert Lily
Hesperocallis undulata