Practical
Plants

Bloomeria crocea

Golden Stars

a member of the Bloomeria genus in the family Alliaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Alliaceae
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Bulb[4]. It can be eaten raw at any time of the year[6].

Plant part
Root

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bulbs can be rubbed on metate into an adhesive and spread on seed gathering baskets to close the interstices[6]. No explanation is given of what metate is. There is a bamboo plant with this common name, but it is not native to America.

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Dry flats and hillsides, often in heavy soils, to 1500 metres[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe or February/March in a well-drained compost in the greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°c[2]. Sow the seed thinly so that it can be grown on in the pot without disturbance for the first year, but apply an occasional liquid feed to ensure the plants do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot, and grow them on in a cold frame for another 2 years[2] before planting them out in the autumn when they are dormant. Division of flowering size offsets in the autumn. They are freely produced[5]. The larger bulbs can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required, whilst it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out in the autumn.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a well-drained rich sandy loam and a warm position[1][3]. Likes plenty of moisture when in growth[5], but plants should be kept quite dry from when the foliage dies down until the autumn[3]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[5]. This genus is closely related to Brodiaea and Nothoscordum species[1][5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

    ↩

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