The sego lily thrives in the harsh deserts of Utah but its once ubiquitous blooms are now more scarce. Sego is a Shoshonean word thought to mean “edible bulb.” Native Americans taught the Utah Mormon pioneers of 1848-49 to eat the small sego lily bulb to help ward off starvation. In 1911 it was made the state flower of Utah and during the First World War the flower became a symbol of peace in Utah. The fragile and delicate petals belie the sego lily’s tenaciousness and utility.