Description
Dichelostemma – Brevoortia –
There are about 7 species of summer flowering, cormous perennials, in this genus. They occur in grassland and chaparral in Western North America. They are grown for their umbels or racemes of tubular to bell shaped flowers, clustered at the ends of 3′ feet long, thin stems. They produce narrow, basal grass like leaves, to 12″ long, produced in spring, die off as the flowers open. Grow in a warm sheltered border or, in cool climate with damp summers, in a bulb frame or cold green house to ensurte a warm, dry dormancy.
Plant in fall in full sun in well drained soil.
Prone to rust.
Dichelostemma pulchellum – Brodiaea capitata – Brodiaea pulchella – Blue-dicks – Wild Hyacinth -Dichelostemma capitatur – This cormous perennial native to Oregon and California grows 12-24″ tall. The narrow, basal leaves are semi erect. On atop of leafless stems it bears dense umbels, 2″ across, of many tubular, pale lilac to mauve flowers, ½” long, with deep purple bracts, in early summer
Zones 6-10
