One strikingly attractive bulb that few people have heard of is the Palmer Baja lily, or blue sand lily (Triteleiopsis palmeri). The only member of its genus, Triteleiopsis palmeri is generally confined to growing in sandy dune regions although they do occasionally venture out onto gravelly flats or rolling hills with a high proportion of sand mixed in with the stones. The species is found in the Sonoran Desert surrounding the Sea of Cortez, mostly in Baja California and Sonora, Mexico. There are a handful of populations within Arizona, mainly in the remote border regions of southern Yuma County. The plant has not yet been discovered in California, although it comes within a few miles of being there in Imperial County, which makes it limited entirely to within one Arizona county in the United States. While more common in Mexico, these handsome two foot tall bulbs are not abundant anywhere. Enjoy these habitat photos from my March 2017 trip to coastal Sonora. 
Pink sand verbenas provide a colorful counterpoint to the royal blue of Palmer Baja lily.
The remote coastal sand dune habitat of Triteleiopsis palmeri along the Sea of Cortez in Sonora, Mexico.
Orange globe mallows stand backstage in this shot of a blue sand lily in Sonora.
Mature flower stems stand between one and three feet tall, with the average being about 20″ to 24″ tall (50 to 60 cm).
