Sego Lilies

Have you heard the story of the early Utah settlers, the drought, crickets, seagulls and sego lilies? The bulb of this delicate flower saved lives. It has since been over harvested, picked, and had its habitat destroyed. A flower that was once abundant is now difficult to find.

I venture out into our surrounding foothills and canyons a fair amount, but had never seen a sego lily, our state flower, in bloom in the wild. This plants is not cultivated and grown in peoples gardens, though many people have tried. That leaves finding one up to good luck or knowing someone who knows where to find one, and when to find it. Sego lily only blooms a couple weeks out of the year, and virtually disappears once it is finished. Fortunately, I was able to get a location from a local horticulturalist. I photographed the lilies, careful to not disturb them, or the nearby plants. I studied them to understand how they are formed and how they behave. Painting a white flower on white paper is no easy task. If you love this important flower, next time you go out to to find it, leave it, and only take pictures.