thebashfulbotanist:

Calochortus lyallii, Lyall’s mariposa lily, in the Methow Valley, Washington State. They’re found in the eastern Cascade foothills generally in mesic to dry soils, often near open Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) forests.

The name “mariposa lily” comes from the Spanish “mariposa”, meaning “butterfly”, because of the beautiful, butterfly-like petals these lilies have. Many mariposa lily species were harvested as bulbs for consumption by Native Americans. Today they’re sometimes used as an ornamental flower but are most commonly found in the wild.