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Common Name: Wild Hyacinth

General Information

Dichelostemma pulchellum is a Corm up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - California.

Habitat

Plains and hillsides[] on dry open ridges and grassy meadows to 1800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Corm
Height	0.60 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a well-drained rich sandy loam[], it likes plenty of moisture whilst in growth followed by a warm dry period in late summer to autumn in order to fully ripen its bulb[]. Plants are susceptible to rot in wet soils[].
This species is hardy to between -5 to -10°c, it may require protection in severe winters[]. This can be done by applying a good organic mulch such as dry bracken in late autumn and removing it in early spring. Alternatively, you can cover the ground with a cloche or other device.
A very ornamental plant, it can flower in 2 years from seed.

Edible Uses

Corm - raw or cooked[, , , ]. A sweet flavour[], it may seem rather flat at first, but the taste quickly grows on one[]. A slow baking develops the sweetness of the corm[]. The corm can be dried and ground into a powder then used as a thickener in soups or mixed with cereal flours to make bread etc[]. The corm is usually harvested in the spring[].
Flowers - raw[]. A nice decoration in the salad bowl[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The corms have been rubbed on metate into an adhesive and then spread on baskets to close the interstices and prevent small seeds falling through the gaps[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a free-draining compost in a cold frame[]. Sow stored seed in spring in a cold frame[]. Seedlings are prone to damping off and so should be kept well ventilated[]. Germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[]. If the seed is sown thinly enough, it can be grown on for its first year without transplanting and then the dormant bulbs can be planted 2/3 to a pot. Otherwise prick out the seedlings when large enough to handle, planting them 2/3 to a pot. Grow on the plants in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Division in autumn of offsets that have reached flowering size[]. Dig up the clumps of bulbs and replant the larger ones into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up the smaller ones and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out.