Favorite Yellow Flowered Bulbs--TOW
Kenneth Hixson (Wed, 21 Jan 2004 13:42:54 PST)

HI, All:
Interesting to see how favorites are influenced--where we are,
as well as climate and other factors.
Here in western Oregon, the climate is relatively mild, but I still
like the first crocus, and yellow shows up well in our typically dismal,
overcast or rainy days. Unfortunately, crocus isn't on my list because of
another factor-my garden is blessed with the presence of bushy tailed tree-
rats, aka squirrels, who dig up crocus as soon as or even before they can
flower, though they don't always eat the corms. A few corms can be grown
in wire baskets, but drifts of crocus are a thing of the past.

Five favorites, more or less in order of flowering:

1 Narcissus bulbocodium-partly because it can somewhat replace crocus
and is not liked by rodents.

2 N. jonquilla-or a hybrid thereof. Fragrance.

3 Bloomeria crocea-The stems can get too tall-they often start flowering
at six inches high, but will be over two feet tall at the end
of flowering. Individual flowers are small, but borne in masses,
they make a bright (glaring?) yellow area in June, after the
spring, but before summer really gets going. Leaves are nearly
prostrate, so a groundcover may help.

4 A lily/lilium....Here is where I should be telling you how wonderful
l. parryi is-but the truth is, I no longer have it-nutria passed over
other lilies to munch on this species. Gold Eagle is an aurelian
hybrid, may not be available anymore, but is nice for large, bowl
shaped flowers. Its stem seems a little stiffer than many yellow
tumpet lilies.

5 A yellow trumpet hybrid lily-because it fills the eveing summer air with
fragrance through out the garden. Copper Crown, Royal Gold, or
some other selection-not all yellow trumpets smell nice.

I like the foliage of Sternbergia lutea, I like the flower form.
Unfortunately, the flowers are not as prolific as they might be-
and they appear at a time when I'm busy with other things. I'm glad
I have it, but it's not in the favorites list.

Ken Z7 western Oregon