Triteleia hyacinthina
Native from southwestern Canada to central California, this bulbous geophyte in the Asparagaceae grows from a round corm with long, slender basal leaves and a leafless flowering stalk bearing an umbel of 10–40 white to pale bluish-white flowers in late spring to late summer, in full sun on well-drained soil with moist winters.
Common Names
White Brodiaea, Hyacinth Brodiaea, Fool's Onion, Wild Hyacinth, White Triteleia
Summary
White Brodiaea is a bulb-forming perennial from western North America that grows from a corm and forms clumps. It features slender stems 30–60 cm tall bearing an umbel of 10–40 white flowers (often with a lavender tint and green mid-veins) and long, narrow basal leaves 10–40 cm long; plants occur in grassy flats and vernal wet meadows up to 2,000 m and are drought-tolerant once established.
It prefers full sun and well-drained soils, with moisture during growth and a warm, dry period in late summer to autumn. Propagation is by seed or division, with seed germination 1–3 months at 15°C and division of flowering-size bulbs in autumn; hardy to USDA zones 4–8; easily grown with low maintenance and a tendency to naturalize, forming drifts in rock gardens and meadows or cottage gardens and suitable for container culture.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-24 inches
Spread
3-6 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-10
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained loamy or sandy loam soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
5.2-7.2, Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soils
Bloom Color
White (milky white, sometimes lavender-tinged; sometimes tinted purple or blue)
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Dark green
Fall Foliage Color
Unknown
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Moderate
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Bees and butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Lindl.) Greene
- Publication
- Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2(6): 139. 1886 [1887 publ. 1886]
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Triteleia
Synonyms
Brodiaea lactea var. major Hesperoscordum lacteum Hesperoscordum lewisii Milla hyacinthina Scaduakintos umbellaris Milla hyacinthina var. lactea Allium lacteum Allium tilingii Brodiaea dissimulata Brodiaea hyacinthina var. lactea Brodiaea lactea Brodiaea lactea var. lilacina Brodiaea grandiflora var. macrantha Triteleia lactea Brodiaea hyacinthina var. lilacina Hesperoscordum hyacinthium Hookera hyacinthina Hookera hyacinthina var. lactea Veatchia crystallina Brodiaea grandiflora Brodiaea hyacinthina