Light reflected by elegant brodiaea

June’s Blue Haze, Brodiaea

This is a picture story of Elegant or Harvest Brodiaea in the Sierra foothill garden.  This is its native area, just south of Yosemite National Park. This and Pretty Face are the two main wild flowers existing here on the land we settled ion near the Sierra National Forest. Until starting this blog, I only have taken two or three photos of either one. Now I enjoy recording all it’s stages here in the garden and beyond in the natural areas of the place.

Elegant Brodeaia are monocots which have single narrow leaves when sprouting.

Elegant Brodiaea are monocots which have single narrow leaves when sprouting.

 

In bud the Brodiaea seems luminous and as if holding a secret of color to come

In bud the Brodiaea seems luminous and as if holding a secret of color to come

Harvest or Elegant brodiaea, Brodiaea elegans
This pretty native has the same umbrella-like umbrel tipped with bright blue or lavender-blue trumpets about 1 inch long. The six petals have little if any yellow in the center of each flower, but a paler shade of the same flower color, which can distinguish it from other brodiaeas. It grows  8-10 inches tall on sunny woodland slopes in great numbers, all through the California foothills and other areas of the West.

When planting a Cleveland sage in the field, I saw the surprising length of the stem and root

When planting a Cleveland sage in the field, I saw the surprising length of the stem and root

I’m digging a hole to plant Cleveland sage. Obviously I didn’t dig deep enough to find the bulb of this in-the-way brodiaea. And look at that clay!  These don’t mind it.

 

Brodiaea elegans is found is meadows and open woodlands

Brodiaea elegans is found is meadows and open woodlands

At the end of the bloom period of the Pretty face, (also know as Golden Brodiaea,) the Elegant Brodiaea show up.  The spring fields of gold slowly convert into cool blue on the dry slopes.

 

They are found mostly inland from Central California north to Oregon

They are found mostly inland from Central California north to Oregon

 

Elegant Brodiaea in a field of going-to-seed clover

Elegant Brodiaea in a field of going-to-seed clover

The peak bloom is mid June to mid July, a nice long time period, reliable in the garden.

 

Mixed with dogtail grass and tarweed sprouts in the field

Mixed with dogtail grass and tarweed sprouts in the field

In a natural area, this is how they look.

Elegant Brodiaea and Pentemon Margarita BOP

Elegant Brodiaea and Pentemon Margarita BOP

The brodiaea appear even around the newly planted Penstemon planted around the edge of the meadow.

All the wild color make the Brodiaea look subdued.

All the wild color make the Brodiaea look subdued.

The brodiaea forms a blue fringe among the meadow wildflowers and Penstemon.

This Elegant Brodiaea has a color variation

This Elegant Brodiaea has a color variation

This show the star=like shape...monocots usually have flower parts in multiples of three.

This shows the star=like shape…monocots usually have flower parts in multiples of three.

A few of these appear in a lower area of the property along one of the paths, the only place here that this two-tone color has been seen. See the three pointy white staminoides?  These are how you tell this variety.

Elegant Brodiaea can be distinguished by white pointed stamen

Elegant Brodiaea can be distinguished by white pointed stamenoides

 

Elegant Brodiaea in afternoon light, here with Heermann's tarweed

Elegant Brodiaea in afternoon light, here with Heermann’s tarweed

 

A sea of lavender-blue, they grow thickly on this dry slope

A sea of lavender-blue, they grow thickly on this dry slope

This was a partidularly dense showing of the blue.

Backlit in afternoon light

Backlit in afternoon light

Now I’m just having fun…

Brodiaea with helichrysum is striking and very summery

Brodiaea with helichrysum is striking and very summery

Elegant Brodiaea goes well with other Mediterannean plants, such as with this Helichrysum ‘Icicles’.  After planting the helichrysum, the brodiaea still popped up, so apparently it wasn’t fazed by the disturbance.

 

Elegant Brodiaea in a delightful white form

Elegant Brodiaea in a delightful white form in the natural meadow beyond the cultivatedgarden

This was a pleasant surprise! There is a Brodiaea pallida, but it has more light lavender in it. I don’t know why the variations appear.

Nearing the end of the cycle in mid July

Nearing the end of the cycle in mid July

 

Brodiaea all done, full of seeds

Brodiaea all done, July 14, full of seeds

Look at all the seeds the dried pods!  Should I just shake these where I want more to grow?

Note: If you, dear readers,  would like to try growing these, either the blue Elegant Brodiaea here or the Golden Brodiaea, Triteleia ixioides, from seed, I would be glad to send some to you.  Let me know…

6 comments

  1. Desiree -

    These are beautiful, Sue! As you probably know by now, I am passionate about blue flowers!

  2. Curbstone Valley Farm -

    I’d shake away! I did that with the Calochortus, and native Asters and they’re popping up everywhere! I love the look with the Helichrysum!

  3. Alison -

    Hi Sue! I would love to try both, if you still have seeds to spare. I have lots of Dicentra formosa seeds, both pink and white, if you’re interested. I can’t remember if you have enough shade.

  4. lostlandscape (James) -

    I’m loving it. These are such a cool surprise when they come up and bloom. One by itself is interesting, but get a whole gang going and they looks simply amazing!

  5. Monica -

    Hi Sue, I just found your blog yesterday when I was looking for articles on Erigonums- Your place is beautiful! I have a small native garden (about 60×50) that used to be a corral for horses. If you still have seeds and think they’d grow in Bakersfield, CA, please let me know. I’ve saved some seeds from my western aster (Aster occidentalis), foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus ) and penstemon Margarita BOP… so we sould trade.
    thanks!

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