Common Name: Golden Stars

General Information

Bloomeria crocea is a herbaceous, perennial plant usually producing a single leaf 6 - 30cm long and a flowering scape 15 - 70cm long from a fibrous-coated corm[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and an adhesive. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, valued for its spring flowers.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - California, Baja California.

Habitat

Dry flats, hillsides, often in heavy soil, chaparral, coastal sage scrub, valley grasslands, oak woodlands; at elevations from sea level to 1,700 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Corm
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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[].
Requires a well-drained rich sandy loam and a warm position[, ]. Plants are often found in heavy soils in the wild[]. Likes plenty of moisture when in growth[], but plants should be kept quite dry from when the foliage dies down until the autumn[].
This species is
This genus is closely related to Brodiaea and Nothoscordum species[, ].

Edible Uses

Bulb[, , ]. It can be eaten raw at any time of the year[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bulbs can be rubbed on metate (a Mexican grinding stone) into an adhesive and spread on seed gathering baskets to close the interstices[].

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[]. 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[] before planting them out in the autumn when they are dormant.
Division of flowering size offsets in the autumn. They are freely produced[]. 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.