From the PBS Wiki: "Generations of writers have repeated the incorrect notion that these plants are monocarpic. They are not monocarpic. Yes, the flowering stems die after seed set; in fact, they die whether seed is set or not. But so do the fruiting stems of tulips, lilies, fritillaries and a host of other similar plants. The perennial stem (i.e. the basal plate) and its offset bulbs live on from year to year." This is consistent with my observations of cultivated plants and the performance of a plant I purchased from the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden in 2009 which consistently flowers every other year while growing in a 2 gallon pot. Nathan