Practical
Plants

Brodiaea coronaria

Californian Hyacinth

a member of the Brodiaea genus in the family Alliaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Alliaceae
Height
0.25 m
Spread
0.1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Corm - raw or cooked[2][4][5]. Baked or boiled and eaten like potatoes[9]. When slowly roasted, it becomes very sweet[12]. Edible fruit[7]. This report is rather dubious and possibly refers to the seedpod since the seed is encased in a small dry capsule[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
Western N. America.
Habitat
Gravelly prairies, grassy slopes and rocky buffs[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light 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 - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[8]. The seed can also be sown in spring in a cold frame[3]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°c[3]. Sow the seed thinly so that it will not require thinning and grow the seedlings on undisturbed in the pot for their first year. Pot up the small bulbs when they are dormant in early autumn and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out when dormant in the autumn. Seedlings are prone to damping off, they should be watered with care and given plenty of ventilation[3]. Division in autumn[6]. Dig up the clumps of corms when they are dormant, divide them and replant the larger corms into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up the smaller corms and grow them on for a year in a cold frame, planting them out in late summer or the autumn.

Cultivation

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

Prefers a rich sandy loam and a well-drained soil in a sheltered position[1][6]. Succeeds in most soils and situations[10]. Likes plenty of moisture whilst in growth, followed by a warm dry period in late summer to autumn[8]. Plants may require protection in severe winters[1], they are susceptible to rot in wet winters[8]. They die down in the summer after flowering[6]. A very ornamental plant[7], it can flower in 2 years from seed[3].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

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

    ↩

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

  10. Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00

    ↩

  11. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩

  12. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩

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