LEUCOJUM (Acis) (Liliaceae)
Snowflake |
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| Leucojum autumnale (Acis autumnalis)
~
Elizabeth Lawrence grew and treasured this hardiest of the
fall-blooming snowflakes, pronouncing it the “most adorable bulb I
know” (other than Narcissus assoanus). “The
flowers are minute crystalline bells, one or two to a 6-inch scape,
hung on hairlike pedicels.” It relishes sun and well-drained soil, and
is thus one of the best bulbs for
rock gardens. The taxonomists have decided that all the fall-blooming leucojums should go by the generic name Acis, but we need a little time to warm to that concept. Mediterranean; W Mediterranean. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$3 |
| Leucojum autumnale 'September Snow'
~
For those who like their autumn snowflakes as pure white as the driven snow, here's a selection completely unadulterated by the pink undertones found in many forms of the species. Mediterranean; W Mediterranean. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$3 |
MERENDERA (Liliaceae) |
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| Often merged with
Colchicum, but distinguished from that
genus (as is Bulbocodium vernum) by their completely separate (rather than basally fused)
"petals", which open starrily in full sun, the merenderas make
"excellent plants for collectors" (Jellitto & Schacht) and
colchiphiles. They like sun and well-drained soil, and so take well to
the rock garden or cool greenhouse. |
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| Merendera sobolifera
~ In late winter the curious, rhizome-like corms of this little cutie
send up crowds of inch-wide, pale-pink star-flowers, making it an ideal
candidate for the cool greenhouse, bulb frame, rock garden, or sand
bed. Steppe/montane; Caucasus to N Iran. Zone 6. Enter quantity: |
1/$4 |
 Merendera trigyna
~ Pink-suffused, white, inch-tall flowers – somewhat fuller than those
of most
merenderas – nestle inside a triad of relatively broad leaves in
February and March. A natural companion to the early-blooming
colchicums. Steppe/montane; Caucasus to N Iran. Zone 6.
.Enter quantity: |
1/$6 |
MUSCARI (Hyacinthaceae) |
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| Muscari commutatum AH.0130
~ This very distinctive grape hyacinth has dark charcoal-purple "grapes", sans the pearly white teeth that typify most of the muscari tribe. They are borne in plump clusters on 6-inch scapes. Mediterranean/modified continental; Caucasus to Mediterranean region. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$4.50 |
| Muscari comosum 'Pinard'
~ In effect, this is a scaled-down M. dionysicum (q.v.), standing in at 10 inches tall. The gray-tinged, purple-blue tassels make quite a splash in the mid-spring garden, particularly if used in quantity. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$5 |
| Muscari
dionysicum AH.8965
~ At first glance it's hard to believe this 30-inch-tall plant, which in full bloom resembles a blue liatris or kniphofia or scadoxus or something of the like, is actually a grape hyacinth. It blooms here in May, providing one of the highlights of the spring garden. Mediterranean/montane; N Greece. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$8 |
 Muscari leucostomum
~ Black-blue, white-fringed "grapes" are freely produced in April on 6-
to 8-inch stems. As striking as it is obscure, and readily cultivated in a sunny, well-drained site. Steppe; central Asia. Zone 6.
Enter quantity:
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1/$3 |
 Muscari pallens
~ Not one
of the imposters usually sold under this name, but a striking selection
with short racemes of ethereal, pale blue bells on 5-inch scapes in
May. It prefers full sun and well-drained, loamy soil that doesn't dry
out in summer. Modified continental/montane; C Caucasus. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$3 |
| Muscari parviflorum
~ As the only fall-blooming grape hyacinth as well as one of the smallest (and cutest) of its tribe, this is a must for all fanciers of the genus, particularly those with rock gardens. The petite, urn-shaped, sky-blue flowers appear in open clusters on 4-inch scapes in September and October. Mediterranean; Mediterranean region. Zone 6.
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1/$3 |
NECTAROSCORDUM (Alliaceae)
Honey garlic |
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 Nectaroscordum tripedale
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Surpassing in beauty the far-better-known (but also lovely) N. siculum,
this close relative of Allium wows
onlookers with its fountaining umbels of drooping, pink (suffused with
green), 3/4-inch bells on 3-foot stems in June. The effect is of a
grander, pinker, denser- (and larger-) flowered N. siculum.
It prospers in well-drained soil in sun or light shade. As always
supply is limited and demand will be high, so please order early.
Modified
continental/montane;
Caucasus. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$9 |
ORNITHOGALUM (Hyacinthaceae)
Star of Bethlehem |
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We've said it many times and we'll say it
again: ornithogalums (or at least the ones we offer) ARE NOT WEEDS.
They're durable, adaptable, beautiful, well-behaved garden citizens,
comprising some of the best bulbs for the perennial border, rock
garden, and alpine house. We think it unreasonable and just a tad
obtuse to dismiss them wholesale because one or two thugs have blotted
their family (or, rather, generic) escutcheon. Even though gardeners
seem to have let the black sheep prejudice them against the entire
genus (which is the only reason we can come up with for its lack of
popularity), we will continue to offer these wonderful plants, and to
enjoy the unsold surplus ourselves. So there.
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 Ornithogalum fimbriatum ~ As our opening
rebuttal to the "ornithogalums are thugs" canard, we
submit this highly gardenworthy species, which throws clusters of
starry, white, green-striped flowers early in
the season (February/March) on 2- to 4-inch scapes. Increasing steadily
(but not aggressively) by offsets, it grows best in well-drained, sunny
sites. Modified continental/montane; Ukraine to Turkey. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$4 |
| Ornithogalum fimbriatum
'Ai-Petri' ~ Isn't it nice when a species comes in several beautiful variations? Here the leaves are much narrower than the type and covered with dense hairs. It's also more compact than typical O. fimbriatum.
Modified continental/montane; Crimea. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$4 |
 Ornithogalum fimbriatum
'Oreanda' ~ Same species, different look, with broader leaves and
taller (6-inch) scapes than the above. Equally beautiful, though.
Modified continental; Crimea. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$4 |
 Ornithogalum magnum
~ It's a complete puzzlement why this "stately species with beautiful
white flowers" (Jelitto & Schacht) is so little seen in American
gardens. Three-foot-tall scapes bear large, green-striped blooms in
late May and June. Easily cultivated, well-behaved, and perfect for the
sunny perennial border. Modified continental; SW Russia. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$2 |
 Ornithogalum narbonense
~ Here we have another unaccountably scarce species, long treasured for
its elegant, steepled, 18- to 24-inch racemes of pure-white flowers
(with narrow green midstripes) in June. The gray-green foliage adds
further ornament. Grows easily and
self-sows moderately in a sunny site. Mediterranean/steppe; SE Europe
to C Asia. Zone 6. Enter quantity:
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1/$2.50 |
| Ornithogalum ponticum
'Sochi' ~ Dense, showy spikes of dazzling white flowers (on
2-foot stems) in June make this recent introduction one of the best of
the many outstanding tall ornithogalums (which means it's also one of
the best ornamentals for the early summer border). Modified
continental/montane; Caucasus. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$6 |
 Ornithogalum sintenisii
~ This nearly unknown species bears clusters of 15 to 25 snow-white, green-striped flowers in March and April on 3-inch scapes. Delightful -- and noninvasive. Modified
continental; Azerbaijan. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$3 |
| The All-Stars ~ A line-up of some of the best of the high-rise ornithogalums. With no thuggish elements present (this is not THAT sort of line-up). Five each of O. magnum and O. narbonense and two of O. ponticum 'Sochi'. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$30
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