By Guest Bloggers Troy McGregor and Jess Kolman
Mention bulbs to most gardeners and you are likely to start hearing names like Daffodils, Tulips and Crocus. What most aren’t aware of or don’t consider garden ready are our own Californian native bulbs. Though their range is vastly reduced from ‘white-man magic’, it is still possible to see many species in open grasslands, redwood forests, rocky slopes and oak woodlands. For the sake of a quick post I’ll group corms and rhizomes under the term bulb. Here are some of my favorites that work well in gardens. I've asked my friend and fellow native plant gardener Jess Kolman to write the descriptions for this post.
Allium unifolium (Single-leaf Onion)
In late spring, our grasslands and chaparral are dotted with the pink of Allium unifolium. From tufts of grassy foliage arise sturdy 1-2’ stalks, topped with showy flower umbels, pale pink with a darker stripe through each petal. The blossoms’ large size and pastel colors make them at once bold and dainty. The flowers gradually dry to tan, but remain upright and decorative for some time. Eventually, the plant disappears for fall and winter, but spreads via bulblets and seed for an increased show each spring.
This unfussy plant is at home in many conditions including heavy clay, as long as it has at least part sun while growing. Supplemental watering will extend bloom time by several weeks, and after flowering, either moderate irrigation or complete drought is acceptable. The plant’s garlic scent is subtle to humans, but repels deer. The flowers attract birds, bees and butterflies.
Dichelostemma ida-maia (California Firecracker)
This distinctive flower brings a hint of flamboyance to the spring garden. Bare stalks of 1’ or taller produce bunches of vivid red capsule-shaped flowers, tipped with apple-green. Later, the green tips open and fold back, revealing a yellowish underside and white anthers. As the dangling flowers reach seeding stage, they stand up, so a single cluster may at times have a combination of pendent and upright capsules. The basal leaves are long and lily-like, emerging from the ground in spring and withering by the time flower stalks rise.
California Firecracker prefers part shade and is not fussy about soil. After flowering it can handle a little moisture, but will happily go completely dry. It attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds like a magnet.
Calochortus superbus (Superb Mariposa Tulip)
Calochortus is Greek for “beautiful grass”, and is an understatement in the case of Calochortus superbus. The “grass” is the long, narrow leaves that emerge in spring, and the “beautiful” is the large, bowl-shaped flowers posed atop erect 1-2’ stalks. They may be any number of colors, including yellow, lavender, pink or red, but most often they are pristine white. In all cases, the flower center is mottled with reds and golds, and partway up each petal is a spot of crimson with a gold lining like a halo. These flowers should be given prominent placement so their patterns and beauty spots can be noticed. Nectar-loving pollinators will greatly appreciate them also.
The plants die down late in spring, at which point water should be withheld until fall. They need sun and tolerate various soils, but good drainage is best. These flowers make gorgeous container specimens, if the pots are put away somewhere dry through summer. They also make superb cut flowers.