Clavel De Muerto

Clavel de Muerto, known scientifically as Milla biflora, is a bulbous perennial herb in the family Asparagaceae native to Mexico and Central America. The common Spanish name, meaning 'flower of the dead,' reflects its prominent use in Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebrations in Mexico, where its star-shaped white flowers are traditionally placed on altars and graves as offerings. Milla biflora produces narrow, grass-like leaves from a small bulb and bears one to several fragrant, six-petaled white flowers per stem, each marked at the base with greenish or purplish tones. The species inhabits seasonally dry oak and pine-oak woodlands, rocky grasslands, and mountain meadows at middle to high elevations in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and adjacent ranges. It is pollinated by bees and other insects attracted to its nectar and subtle fragrance. The plant enters a dormant period during the dry season, regrowing from the bulb with the onset of the rainy season. Clavel de Muerto holds significant ethnobotanical and cultural importance in Mexican highland communities and is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with stable populations in its native range, though local collection pressure for seasonal festivities may affect certain populations.