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Taxon  Report  
Calochortus coeruleus  (Kellogg) S. Watson
Blue star tulip,   Beavertail-Grass
Calochortus coeruleus is a perennial herb that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Calochortus
Family: Liliaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTSCalochortus caeruleus var. fimbriatus
PLANTSCalochortus caeruleus
JEF + PLANTSCalochortus coeruleus var. fimbriatus
PLANTSCyclobothra caerulea
PLANTSCyclobothra coerulea
Information about  Calochortus coeruleus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CACO3)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Description, Taxonomy, Range: Calochortus coeruleus,[3][4][5] often misspelled as Calochortus caeruleus,[6] is a bulbous plant of the lily family. It is known by the common name beavertail grass or blue star tulip.[12] Description The plant is endemic to California. It is found only in the North California Coast Ranges, Southern Cascade Range, and Northern Sierra Nevada.[13] Calochortus coeruleus is a distinctive plant bearing flowers with light blue spade-shaped petals covered in brushlike hairs.[13] Taxonomy The botanical name Calochortus caeruleus is not accepted, being an orthographic variant (misspelling) of Calochortus coeruleus.[2][6] Watson in coining the name in 1875 spelled it "caeruleus" but he also cited Kellogg's 1863 name Cyclobothra coerulea as basionym.[7][8] (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/27/2024).