# Yellow Star-tulip (*Calochortus monophyllus*) The Yellow Star-tulip is a bright, cheerful flower that looks like a star! It blooms in spring and brings joy to gardens and fields with its sunny yellow petals. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Yellow Star-tulip](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Calochortus_monophyllus.jpg&width=800) Photo: Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calochortus_monophyllus.jpg) ## Appearance The Yellow Star-tulip is a delicate plant with a single, upward-facing, cup-shaped flower. Its bright yellow petals are distinctively fringed or hairy, often featuring a reddish-brown spot near the base. The leaves are slender and grass-like. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Liliales - **Family:** Liliaceae - **Genus:** Calochortus ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, it's not a true tulip, but a unique member of the lily family! - Its scientific name, 'monophyllus,' means 'single leaf,' even though it might have a few! - Native Americans once dug up and ate its tasty, starchy bulbs like tiny potatoes! - This flower is part of the 'Mariposa Lily' group, named after the Spanish word for butterfly! ## Special abilities - **Dormancy Power:** Yellow Star-tulip can vanish underground during dry, hot summers, protecting its bulb and reappearing with the next rains. - **Toxic Soil Defender:** Yellow Star-tulip can thrive in tough serpentine soils, which are toxic to most other plants, using its roots to cope. - **Hairy Petal Helper:** Yellow Star-tulip has fuzzy, fringed petals that may help guide pollinators to its nectar or protect its delicate reproductive parts. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 5-10 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Yellow-faced Bumblebee (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browses on leaves and flowers. - **Eats:** Valley Gopher (*Thomomys bottae*) — Feeds on underground bulbs. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not pick flowers without asking an adult, so everyone can enjoy them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Yellow Star-tulip? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Yellow Star-tulip? 10-30 cm ### How wide does Yellow Star-tulip spread? 5-10 cm ### How big are the flowers on Yellow Star-tulip? 2-4 cm ### When does Yellow Star-tulip bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is Yellow Star-tulip edible? Yes ### Is Yellow Star-tulip toxic? None ### What is Yellow Star-tulip's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Empire Mine State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/empire-mine-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park - [Nevada City Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nevada-city-downtown-historic-district) — California, US · Historic District - [Pine Hill Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pine-hill-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/malakoff-diggins-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park [View all places to see Yellow Star-tulip](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-star-tulip) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Yellow Star-tulip: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-star-tulip)