Likes sunny spots – chaparral. Native to California, also elsewhere in the West.
Grows from bulbs (“geophyte”, like an onion), dies back after flowering. The bulb stores nutrients for next year. A good strategy for dealing with our climate, with its months of no rain. Also makes the Star Lily a good fire-follower.
Check out the Latin name: TOXIC! All parts of the plant. (AKA “Death Camas”) (Lewis and some of his party ate some ground up in bread: serious illness, delaying their expedition.)
Do you care about the name? Name: John C. Fremont collected some specimens, before 1850. Check out Fremont’s problematic history, including massacres of Native Americans.
Fremont was collecting for Asa Gray, Harvard professor, a giant of botany, correspondent with Charles Darwin.
Even though all parts of the plant are toxic, there are some insect pollinators: hover flies, native bees…
Leaves can be confused with Soap Plant. SL is shiny, smooth; SP matte, curly.
