 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : Mother Nature's Backyard |
The
parade of native ‘bulbs’ continues to unfold in S. California gardens. From the early-blooming Red-skinned onion and
Blue dicks, to the late-blooming Tritelias
and Brodiaeas, there’s usually
something of interest from January through May.
Right now the star geophyte is the California brodiaea, Brodiaea californica [pronounced
bro-DEE-uh cal-ih-FOR-ni-cuh].
As
its name suggests, California brodiaea is endemic to California, gracing the
foothills and meadows of the North Coastal Ranges and northern Sierra Nevadas. It grows in gravelly, clay soils or
serpentine, in the grassland, open woodland and chaparral communities, up to
about 3000 ft. (900 m.) elevation. But
it grows surprisingly well in a range of garden soils and climates, making it a
staple perennial in local gardens. It is variously placed in the Lilliacieae or the Themidaceae, along with the California native Bloomeria, Dichelostema, Muilla and Triteleia.
 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : corms |
Brodiaea californica is a corm-producing perennial. It dies back to its underground storage organ
(the corm) after producing seeds. The
corm is rounded and has coarse, brown fibers (see above). The plants remain dormant until the winter
rains, when the stems begin to grow again.
The plants first produce several leaves; then, with the warmer weather,
they quickly send up flowering stalks and begin to flower. In our S. California gardens, the first green
appears around February and flowering commences in late April or early May. Flowering can last up to three to four weeks.
 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : foliage |
The
leaves of Brodiaea californica are
long and narrow – up to ½ inch wide and 24 inches long. Like most in this genus, the leaves are fleshy
and medium green. In a dry spring, the
leaves will begin to yellow and dry at their tips as flowering begins.
 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : flower and buds |
Flowers
are grouped in starburst-like umbels atop stout stems. Each umbel contains 8-12 upright flowers,
each flower about 1-1 ½ inches (2.4-3.8 cm) in length (see above). The flowers may be white or pale pink, but
those in Mother Nature’s Backyard are a lovely pale lavender.
 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : close-up of flowers |
The
flowers themselves have a specialized form.
The perianth (fused petals and sepals; three of each) forms a long tube
with a flared opening (see above). The pollen-producing
stamens are surrounded by an upright, white, tube-like structure formed by the staminodia
(sterile stamens).
Such
specialized floral architecture often reflects adaptation to specific types of
pollinators. We recently observed a
hummingbird carefully visiting every flower.
We were surprised to learn that little is known about the pollination of
Brodiaea californica. We will continue to observe and photograph any
potential pollinators, with the goal of adding to our knowledge of this
species. We’ll also be more observant regarding the production of viable
seeds. Here’s hoping!
 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : lovely late spring color |
California
brodiaea is an easy plant to grow. Once
planted in the ground or in a pot, it needs only adequate winter/spring
moisture and relatively dry conditions through the summer/fall to succeed and
multiply. In fact, as it hails from N.
California, these corms can even take occasional summer water – just don’t
over-do.
California
brodiaea does fine in full sun to part-shade; morning sun is probably optimal
in our drier S. California gardens. If
you’re growing it in a container, provide a layer of fresh potting mix or ½ strength
fertilizer in winter/early spring.
If flowering starts to decrease – or pots seem
over-crowded – thin the corms in the fall. You’ll probably only need to do this
every third or fourth year. For more on
caring for native corms, see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2017/02/gardening-with-california-native-bulbs.html
 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : glorious massed |
This
is truly one of the prettiest California native ‘bulbs’. The robust foliage and flowers compete well
with other native wildflowers. We love
the look of it with California poppy, the Clarkias and Gilias. Masses
of Brodiaea californica provide
pastel color when many spring-flowering annuals are already done for the season
(in S. California). We welcome anything that provides color in the ‘between
seasons’ period of May and early June.
Its
size makes Brodiaea californica a
good candidate for the foreground in mixed beds. It also makes a good filler around perennial
grasses, shrubs and herbaceous perennials.
This is one of our all-time favorites for containers; it’s truly a
conversation piece. Place a container of California brodiaea near an outdoor
seating area for maximum enjoyment. The corms were apparently eaten by native
Californians, though we have yet to try them.
We’ll try to learn more about their preparation.
In
summary, California brodiaea is one of our favorite native ‘bulbs’. It’s pretty, adaptable, robust and easy to
grow. We hope you’ll consider adding a
pot or two to your own garden. Just
remember to order bulbs in summer – they sell out fast!
 |
| California brodiaea (Brodiaea californica) : lovely container plant Home garden, Redondo Beach, CA |
For a
gardening information sheet see: https://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-brodiaea-californica
For more
pictures of this plant see: https://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/brodiaea-californica-web-show
For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar