Sego Lily
Utah State Flower
The sego lily was adopted as the Utah State Flower in 1911. The bulbous perennial was chosen for its natural beauty as well as its historical significance. Native Americans considered the sego lily a sacred plant and developed culinary uses for its bulbs, seeds, and flowers. Many tribes created a healthful porridge from roasted or boiled sego lily bulbs, which are similar in shape to a radish. Brigham Young, who led Mormon pioneers to the western United States, declared the sego lily “a heaven sent source of food.” Friendly Native Americans taught Mormon settlers how to harvest and prepare the bulbs for much needed survival food when a devastating cricket infestation destroyed crops.
The sego lily once saved lives, and now it helps teach Utah residents to save water. Sego Lily Gardens is an educational center in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The gardens are open to the public and benefit from the support of local volunteers, including boy scouts, girl scouts, and church members. Visitors learn ways to conserve water while creating beautiful and water-wise landscapes.
Sego Lily Facts
Common Name: Sego Lily
Scientific Name: Calochortus nuttallii
Year Adopted: 1911
Peak Bloom: May to June
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Sego Lily photograph by USFWS Mountain-Prairie. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.
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Life-Saving Lily: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
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