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.

This sculpture won an Award of Merit in the 2018 Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art in Springville, UT.