PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Asparagaceae FAMILY

Bloomeria crocea

Bloomeria crocea

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitCorm
Growth—

Bloomeria crocea is found in southwestern N. America where the climate is Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot dry summers. It is not hardy outside the milder areas of the temperate zone, tolerating short-lived temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[1]. Requires a well-drained rich sandy loam and a warm position[2, 3]. Plants are often found in heavy soils in the wild[4]. Likes plenty of moisture when in growth[1], but plants should be kept quite dry from when the foliage dies down until the autumn[3]. This species is This genus is closely related to Brodiaea and Nothoscordum species[2, 1].

Propagation

Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe or late winter/early spring in a well-drained compost in the greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°c[5]. 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[5] before planting them out in the autumn when they are dormant. Division of flowering size offsets in the autumn. They are freely produced[1]. 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. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Bloomeria+crocea>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Growing from Seed. Volume 3. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1989 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  4. [4]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  5. [5]Growing from Seed. Volume 2. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
  6. [6]A California Flora. — Munz P.A. & Keck D.D. · University of California Press; Los Angeles · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
  7. [7]Food Plants of the N. American Indians. — Yanovsky. E. · U.S. Depf of Agriculture. · ISBN - ↩︎A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  9. [9]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.