Ornamental onions, Alliums, are perennial bulbs that bear gloves of small purple flowers held aloft on sturdy stems in early summer. Flowers are followed by decorative buff-colored seedheads. Strap-shaped leaves fade as the flowers appear—which may detract from the flowers. Allium is a genus of strong-smelling bulbous herbs of the Lily family (including onions, leeks,…
Eucharis–commonly called Amazon lily–is a summer-flowering perennial bulb. It bears umbels of fragrant, daffodil-like white flowers. Each flower has 6 spreading tepals around in two rows, the outer ones longer and narrower than the inner one, and 6 stamens fused to form a cup. Eucharis has long-stalked ovate or elliptic to lance-shaped glossy green basal…
Bulbs are remarkably beautiful flowers and they are remarkably beautiful cut flowers. Bulbs flower in a wide range of colors, forms, and sizes. They can be grown indoors as well as out, and they are relatively easy to grow. As cut flowers they certainly rival annuals and perennials. Botanically speaking a bulb is an encased…
Veltheimia is a tender, bulbous perennial that bears clusters of pendent, tubular flowers carried on erect stalks above basal rosettes of wavy eaves. Veltheimia’s flowers resemble those red-hot pokers (Kniphofia spp.). Each small flower has six small lobes at the top. Veltheimia is native to South Africa. It is well adapted to the sun and…
Calochortus–commonly called fairy lantern or Mariposa lily–is a genus of bulbous perennials from western North America that bears tulip-like flowers in lilac, purple, rose, red, yellow, or white–all with distinctive “eyes” that resemble markings on butterfly wings. Calochortus have a distinctive nectary near the base of each petal. There are several species of Calochortus that…
Plants known by the name “daffodil,” “narcissus,” and “jonquil” are properly Narcissus; they belong to the botanical genera Narcissus. Gardeners refer to large-flowered Narcissus as daffodils, small-flowered early-blooming Narcissus as narcissus, and Narcissus that blossom in clusters as jonquil. All Narcissus have the same basic flower structure. Each bloom has a perianth (six outer petal-like…
Subscribe today to get our weekly recipe newsletter! You don’t want to miss out!
