Overview
Scoliopus bigelovii is a small woodland perennial in the lily family (Liliaceae), growing from a short rhizome to 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall. Each plant produces a pair of broad, fleshy basal leaves 3-8 inches (8-20 cm) long, green and mottled with brown or purple blotches. In late winter, before most other woodland plants stir, slender stalks rise from between the leaves, each bearing a single intricate flower about 0.6-1 inch (15-25 mm) across, with three spreading outer segments striped maroon to brown over a greenish ground and three narrow, erect inner segments. The flowers give off a faint musty odor that draws fungus gnats, their pollinators. After flowering, the stalks lengthen and bend down to the ground, lowering the developing seed capsule to the soil, a habit reflected in the common name slink pod. S. bigelovii grows in shaded, moist redwood and mixed-evergreen forests of coastal California, in deep, humus-rich soil. The foliage dies back by summer, leaving the plant dormant, and it grows poorly outside cool, moist, shaded conditions.
Native Range
Native to the coastal mountains of California, from the San Francisco Bay Area north through the Coast Ranges. It grows in shaded, moist redwood and mixed-evergreen forests, on streambanks and shaded slopes in deep, humus-rich soil.Suggested Uses
Grown in shaded woodland and native plant gardens in cool, moist coastal climates, where its early flowers and mottled leaves add winter interest beneath trees. It suits redwood and fern understory plantings. Its summer dormancy and need for shade and moisture limit it to specialized woodland settings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'
Width/Spread4" - 10"
Bloom Information
Flowers in late winter to early spring, mainly February and March, among the earliest woodland plants to bloom. Each plant opens a few flowers in succession over two to three weeks. The faint musty scent is strongest on mild days when fungus gnats are active.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
greenish with maroon-brown stripesFoliage Description
green mottled with brown-purpleGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-5 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