A brilliant Allium
Antennaria@aol.com (Wed, 21 May 2003 20:38:00 PDT)

Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net> wrote:

Back in the early 1980s when I lived in near Seattle, Washington (Pacific
Northwestern USA, for those who live in other parts of the world), I obtained
bulbs of this fine Allium
species (the species is from Spain and Portugal). I'm drawing a blank
regarding where I got it, I need to check my old records, but I do believe it
came misidentified and I keyed it out (there are relatively few
yellow-flowered Allium species). It is a refined bright yellow-flowered
plant. It might have come from Mike Salmon in England... I've been buying
seed from his list over the past 20 years. After verifying the identity of
the plants, I shared plants with my Seattle area friend and allium
afficionado; Jerry Flintoff.

When I moved back to northeastern USA, I failed with my attempts to grow this
plant. However, the type species; A. scrozonerifolium ssp. scorzonerifolium,
was perfectly hardy here and bloomed for over the past decade and more. The
type species is rather different, in that it has bulbils in the inflorescence
(var. xericense has no bulbils, it's a totally floriferous form), and
accordingly is said to be invasive. In the 12 years or so that I've grown
it, I have not found the type species to be invasive, perhaps because it has
a low bulbil count, with only a few bulbils per inflorescence and many more
showy yellow flowers than bulbils. The type form has smaller, less brilliant
yellow fowers, and grayer foliage, and a few rather inconspicuous bulbils.
It is shorter, growing only 6-8" tall. I may have lost this species, as the
area where it's growing has become overgrown.

Jerry Flintoff has shared replacement bulbs of var. xericiense with me at
least 4 times in the past, and they just aren't hardy here, and I lose the
plants after each winter tried. I'm not going to ask again until I build my
pit greenhouse. Jane, if you get enough of this going, you'll have to put it
on your list. By the way, bulbs from last year's list; A. membrenaceum and
A. hyalinum, are budded up!

And yes, Allium scorzonerifolium ssp. xericense is a summer dormant species
that dries up after flowering, much like it's kin species A. moly.

Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States
antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5
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alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western
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