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Bloomeria crocea
goldenstar
Overview
Bloomeria crocea is a cormous perennial of California and northern Baja California, sending up a slender, leafless flowering stalk 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall from an underground corm. One or two narrow, grass-like basal leaves 6-16 inches (15-40 cm) long appear in winter and wither as the plant blooms. From April to June the stalk is topped by an open, rounded umbel of 10-35 golden-yellow star-shaped flowers, each about 0.5-0.75 inch (1.2-2 cm) across, with six spreading petals marked by a darker midline. After flowering the plant sets small capsules and goes dormant through the dry summer, surviving as the corm. B. crocea grows on dry grassy slopes, in open woodland, and on the edges of chaparral below about 5,500 feet (1,700 m), often in heavy or rocky soil. It tolerates summer drought through dormancy but needs winter and spring moisture to flower and good drainage to keep the corm from rotting. Bees and other insects visit the flowers for pollen and nectar. Gophers and ground squirrels dig and eat the corms, which limits the plant in unprotected gardens. The grass-like leaves and short above-ground season make it easy to overlook outside of bloom.
Native Range
Bloomeria crocea is native to California and northern Baja California, Mexico, from the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills south through the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges. It grows on dry grassy slopes, in open oak woodland, and along chaparral edges, often on clay or rocky soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in California native gardens, rock gardens, dry meadows, and among grasses that mask its summer dormancy. It is planted 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) apart and about 3 inches (8 cm) deep in groups for a scattered, starry effect in late spring. It naturalizes on dry sunny banks where summers stay dry.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread4" - 8"
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs from April to June, after the winter leaves have begun to wither. Each stalk carries an open umbel of 10-35 golden-yellow star-shaped flowers that open over one to two weeks. Bees and other insects gather pollen and nectar from the flowers.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Bloomeria crocea grows in full sun to light shade with 6-10 hours of light and well-drained loam, sand, rocky, or clay soil at pH 6.0 to 7.5. It follows a winter-growing, summer-dormant cycle, needing moisture from fall through spring and dry conditions while dormant in summer. Summer water on the dormant corm causes rot, so the planting is left dry after the foliage dies back. The corm is hardy in USDA zones 8-10. Sharp drainage and protection from gophers help the corm persist from year to year.Pruning
No pruning is needed. The withered leaves and spent flower stalks are left to die back naturally, which returns energy to the corm, and are cleared once dry. Seed heads can be left to self-sow or removed to direct energy into the corm.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summer
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons