Bloomipedia
Sego lily (Calochortus nuttallii)
Photo: Rory O'Shea via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Sego lily

Calochortus nuttallii

★ Official state flower of Utah (1911)Native in the lower 48

Sego lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

11states
4of our state lists
4,963U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

🏅
Utah's official state flower since 1911. Visit the Utah page → Utah Code § 63G-1-601 Utah's pioneers ate sego lily bulbs when food ran short, which is part of why it was chosen.

Quick look

Calochortus nuttallii, also known as the sego lily, is a bulbous perennial plant that is endemic to the Western United States. The common name of sego comes from a similar Shoshone word. It is the state flower of Utah.

  • It belongs to the Liliaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota. NatureServe
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • In Wyoming, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,312 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #8 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 563 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #48 among the 107 flowers on our Wyoming list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 255 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #54 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist

Sego lily gift ideas

Handmade sego lily gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Sego lily art print

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    Sego lily mug

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    Sego lily earrings

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    Sego lily embroidery pattern

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    Sego lily sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,636 records)
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
UtahNativeMay–July2,312
WyomingNativeJune–July563
South DakotaNativeMay–July255
North DakotaNativeJune199

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Wyoming
No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Calochortus nuttalli” (Calochortus spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records sego lily in 11 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Goshen, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Washakie, Weston.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Bennett, Butte, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Mellette, Pennington.

More Utah flowers

Glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum)

Glacier lily

Erythronium grandiflorum

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: March–June
Gunnison's mariposa lily (Calochortus gunnisonii)

Gunnison's mariposa lily

Calochortus gunnisonii

Native

🌼 Blooms: June–August
Wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum)

Wood lily

Lilium philadelphicum

Native

🌼 Blooms: June–July

Sources