Chamaescilla corymbosa
blue stars
Overview
Chamaescilla corymbosa is a small, tuberous perennial herb growing 5-25 cm (2-10 in) tall from underground tubers. A basal rosette of a few narrow, grass-like leaves 5-15 cm (2-6 in) long appears in winter. In spring, slender leafless stems carry loose branched clusters of star-shaped flowers, each 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8 in) across with six blue to violet tepals and yellow anthers. The flowers open in sunshine and close in dull weather. After flowering the plant sets small capsules and dies back to the tubers for summer dormancy. It grows in seasonally moist grassland, heath, woodland, and around granite outcrops in sandy or loam soils. Limitation: the plant is small, dormant for much of the year, and visible only briefly in spring, which makes it easy to overlook.
Native Range
Southern Australia, including Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales. It grows in seasonally moist grassland, heath, woodland, and around granite outcrops.Suggested Uses
Grown in native grassland gardens, rockeries, and containers, and in meadow-style plantings with other spring geophytes. It suits well-drained, sunny sites with a dry summer.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 10"
Width/Spread2" - 6"
Bloom Information
Blue star-shaped flowers open in spring, mainly August to November. The flowers open in sun and close in cloudy weather, lasting several weeks across the clump. Flowering follows the wet winter growing season.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
blue to violetFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 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
Grows in seasonally moist, well-drained sandy or loam soils in full sun to light shade, with a wet winter-spring growing season and a dry summer dormancy. The tubers need to dry out over summer and rot in constantly wet soil. Water is supplied by seasonal rain during growth and withheld in dormancy. Plants tolerate frost while dormant. The species is grown from seed or by division of the tubers in dormancy. It tolerates low-nutrient soils.Pruning
No pruning is needed. The leaves and flower stems wither after flowering as the plant enters summer dormancy. Spent stems can be removed once dry.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons