It is found along hillsides, in grassland and chaparral edges, and in dry flats.

The corms of Bloomeria crocea have a fibrous exterior and usually produces only one leaf.

Plants produce six-petaled golden flowers that are clustered in a loose umbel.

When the three-lobed stigma is fertilized, Bloomeria produces capsules that contain small black seeds.

Growing in full sun, Bloomeria crocea prefers porous soil and semi-dry conditions, in the Peninsular, Transverse, and southern California Coast Ranges, and on the Channel Islands.