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Calochortus: Mariposa Lilies & Their Relatives

By Mary E. Gerritsen and Ron Parsons

Even beginning gardeners will appreciate the inspiring photographs, growing tips, and source guide.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

With their graceful stance, brilliant colors, and intricate markings, members of the North American genus Calochortus are among the most dazzling bulbous plants in the world. Yet their mostly undeserved reputation for being difficult to grow has kept them from being known and appreciated by the vast majority of gardeners. By presenting detailed history, distribution, habitat, and observations on cultivation for each species, Mary Gerritsen and Ron Parsons aim to raise awareness of these gems of the American West and to bring them into wider horticultural use. The superb photographs, most taken in situ, vividly illustrate the remarkable variation within the genus and sometimes even within species.

Filed under: bulbs, genus specific, professional, reference

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 232 pp.
Book dimensions: 6 x 9 in. (150 x 230 mm.)
Images: 175 color photos, 2 b/w line drawings, 1 color illustrations
ISBN-10: 0881928445
ISBN-13: 9780881928440

Media reviews

"Ron Parson's color photographs alone make a compelling case for how captivating Calochortus members can be. But the passion he and co-author Mary E. Gerritsen have for this bulbous wildflowers shines through in their writing as well."

—Viveka Neveln, American Gardener

"A botanist's treasure ... a truly complete treatise on the subject."

—Rosemarie Papayanopulos, Gardener's Gazette

"A dream book for botanists. Like many Timber Press books focusing on certain genera of plants, it is an in-depth look at the classification, history and distribution of the plants. What makes this a great book for gardeners as well are the cultural tips for each species. ... The photographs are wonderful."

—Jacqueline A. Soule, (Tucson) Explorer

"Even beginning gardeners will appreciate the inspiring photographs, growing tips, and source guide."

—Marianne Binetti, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"This beautiful and informative handbook describes the species, phylogenetic approaches to its classification, its history, and its horticulture. ... Illustrated with Parson's superb photos of the flowers, both the individual blooms and in their native habitat."

—Shannon Hendrickson, SciTech Book News

"Simply splendid. The photography of this unique genus is among the best I have seen and provides astounding detail to help identify the different species."

—Lara Hartley, Victorville Daily Press

About the authors

Mary E. Gerritsen

Mary E. Gerritsen, PhD, an accomplished cell biologist and pharmacologist, has worked in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries for more than 25 years and is the author of scores of articles in medical journals and textbooks. She lives in San Mateo, California.

Ron Parsons

Ron Parsons has been growing orchids for more than three decades and photographing them for nearly as long. He has over 25,000 slides of orchid species and lectures frequently on a variety of orchid genera. Ron grows an assortment of cool-growing orchid species in a small greenhouse and under lights. He was born, raised, and currently lives in the San Francisco, California, area.