Asphodelus albus
Jane McGary (Wed, 21 Jun 2006 10:39:16 PDT)

Max asked,

Here in northern Oregon, it becomes dormant around the beginning of August.
It may go through its growth cycle earlier where Max lives on San Francisco
Bay.

For those unfamiliar with it, it is a large, stately clump-forming plant
with copious foliage and tall stems closely set with white flowers (which
become ragged as they age). Here it flowers mostly in late May. Suitable
for the sunny border or growing among small shrubs, it is easily lifted and
divided into separate crowns while dormant. It is a common monocot seen
among scrub in the Mediterranean region. It is easily grown from seed,
which is readily available through the NARGS exchange.

The dearth of information about it may stem from the fact that it's too big
and leafy for the typical "bulb" setting, but not a favorite in the border
because of the big hole it leaves when it goes dormant in midsummer. I have
it on the sunny side of a dense magnolia, with narcissus and some
self-sowing annuals and biennials. My garden is extremely informal and
little visited by others, so I don't care about blank spaces at various times.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA