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Brodiaea spp.

brodiaeas

Asparagaceae Western North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 6–10

Overview

Brodiaea spp. is a genus of about 15 species of cormous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California, with a centre in California. Plants grow from a small corm and send up a leafless stalk 10-50 cm (4-20 in) tall topped by an open cluster of funnel- to star-shaped flowers. The flowers are usually violet-blue to purple, sometimes lilac or white, 2-4 cm (0.8-1.6 in) long, and appear in late spring and early summer. A few narrow, grass-like basal leaves emerge in winter and wither away before or during flowering. The corms were a traditional food of Indigenous peoples, who ate them raw or cooked. Plants grow through the cool, moist season and go dormant through a dry summer. They need a warm summer rest and sharp drainage, and rot in soils that stay wet while the corm is dormant. Clumps increase slowly by offset cormlets.

Native Range

Brodiaea spp. is native to western North America, from British Columbia south through California to Baja California, growing in grassland, vernal-pool margins, and open woodland on soils that dry hard in summer.

Suggested Uses

Grown in rock gardens, gravel beds, dry borders, and naturalized in lean grassland that is not watered in summer. The corms suit Mediterranean-climate plantings and pots kept dry through their dormancy. Corms are planted 8-12 cm (3-5 in) apart in groups.

How to Identify

Recognized by leafless flowering stalks rising from a corm and topped with an open cluster of funnel- to star-shaped violet-blue flowers in late spring. The few grass-like basal leaves usually wither before the flowers open. The clustered flowers on a bare stalk separate Brodiaea spp. from true lilies, and it lacks the onion smell of Allium spp..

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'8"

Width/Spread2" - 4"

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~3 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering comes in late spring and early summer, after the foliage has begun to die back, and lasts 2-4 weeks. Each stalk opens several flowers in succession within its cluster. Bloom is followed by papery seed capsules and full summer dormancy.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

violet-blue to purple, some lilac or white

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

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

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years from corm to flowering

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Most species grow in full sun on gritty, sharp-draining soil and need a warm, dry rest once they go dormant in summer. Corms are planted in autumn about 8-10 cm (3-4 in) deep at a neutral to slightly acidic pH. They draw moisture from winter and spring rain and then must dry out, as wet summer soil rots the dormant corms. Most species are hardy in USDA zones 6-10, and in wet-summer climates they are lifted or grown in pots kept dry over summer. Gophers, voles, and other rodents dig and eat the corms.

Pruning

The spent flower stalk is removed after bloom unless seed is wanted. The withering leaves are left to die back fully, as they feed the corm for the next year. Crowded clumps are lifted and separated during summer dormancy.

Pruning Schedule

summer