Description
Asphodeline – Jacob’s Rod
There’s some 20 species of biennials and perennial lilies, in this genus. They occur from sunny rocky meadows and scrub on dry slopes from the Mediterranean and Turkey to the Caucasus. From fleshy or fibrous rhizomes it produces grass to spear like bright green sometime with a bluish tint basal and stem leaves. It bears racemes, of star shaped yellow or white flowers, on stiffly erect stems up to 5’ feet tall.
These frost hardy plants are easily grown in moderately fertile, well-drained, sandy loamy deep soil in full sun. Divide in late summer and early autumn.
Prone to slugs, snails, and aphids.
Asphodeline lutea – King’s Spear – Yellow Asphodel – Asphodel – This clump forming perennial, from the Mediterranean region grows up to 5’ feet tall. It produces furrowed, narrowly, triangular glossy, blue green leaves up to 14” long are held along the flower stalk. In late spring it bears dense racemes up to 8” long of fragrant, star shaped, bright yellow flowers to 1 ¼” wide with large ovate bracts.
Zones 6-10
