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Chamaescilla spp.
blue stars
Overview
Chamaescilla is a small genus of tuberous perennial herbs in the family Asphodelaceae, native to southern Australia. The widespread C. corymbosa, called blue stars or murchin, is a low geophyte 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) tall that grows from a cluster of small fleshy tubers. A basal rosette of a few narrow, grass-like leaves appears in autumn and winter after rain, followed in spring by wiry stems carrying loose clusters of star-shaped flowers. Each flower is about 0.5 to 0.8 inch (12 to 20 mm) across with six spreading blue to violet petals and a paler centre. After flowering and seeding, the plant dies back to its tubers and stays dormant underground through the dry summer. It grows in seasonally moist sandy and lateritic soils of open woodland, heath, and granite outcrops, often flowering en masse after good winter rains. Plants regrow each year from the tubers and also spread by seed.
Native Range
Chamaescilla is native to southern Australia, with C. corymbosa ranging across south-western Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales in seasonally wet, sandy heath and woodland.Suggested Uses
Grown in native and water-wise gardens, rockeries, and seasonally dry borders, and naturalised in lawns and open ground that dries out in summer. It gives a spring show of blue among grasses and other geophytes. It also suits pots that can be kept dry over summer.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'
Width/Spread4" - 8"
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in spring, roughly August to November in Australia, after the leaves have grown through the cooler, wetter months. The blue star-shaped flowers open on sunny days over several weeks. Plants then set seed and become dormant for the dry summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
blue to violet with paler centreFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 5-10 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
Blue stars grow in full sun to light shade in free-draining sandy or gravelly soils that are moist in winter and spring but dry in summer, matching a Mediterranean-type climate. A slightly acidic to neutral pH suits them. The tubers need a warm, dry summer dormancy and rot in soils kept wet year-round. Plants are grown from seed or by separating tubers when dormant. They suit native, rockery, and seasonally dry plantings and naturalise in suitable ground. Little care is needed once the seasonal rhythm of wet winters and dry summers is met.Pruning
No pruning is needed for this summer-dormant geophyte. The dead leaves and flower stems can be cleared once they have yellowed and the plant has set seed. The tubers are left undisturbed underground until dormant lifting if division is wanted.Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons