The violet patches on the three petals of the mariposa lily serve as nectar guides to its many pollinators, especially beetles. Photo by Gene Yates. A member of the lily family, white mariposa lily grows from a perennial bulb with a single grass-like stem up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall bearing 1-5 flowers.The flower features three large white petals each with a prominent purple blotch in the center.hoto by Gene Yates. A member of the lily family, white mariposa lily grows from a perennial bulb with a single grass-like stem up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall bearing 1-5 flowers. The flower features three large white petals each with a prominent purple blotch in the center.
After the leaves are dead you can cut them back and just leave the bulbs until next year when many will bloom again. High quality bulbs should come back for about 3 years, but they do get weaker year after year. I would like to receive my spring bloomers (like tulips, daffodils, etc) in spring/summer.
6. Store the tulip bulbs. Put the bag or box of tulip bulbs in a cool, dry place until early fall. Do not store the bulbs in a refrigerator because fruits and vegetable emit gases that can kill the tulip bulbs.Closets, garages and basements are cool and dry and are better choices for bulb storage.. Remove any dust and dirt. Wipe the bulbs gently. If you are storing tulip bulbs that were dug up from the ground versus packaged bulbs, gently brush off any dirt, but do not wash the bulbs.