Wild Hyacinth
Dichelostemma pulchellum

Family: Alliaceae

What it is like

Dichelostemma pulchellum is a CORM growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

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

South-western N. America - California.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

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.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

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.

Adhesive: Glues.

How it is grown

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.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Corm

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

D. capitatum. Brodiaea capitata. B. pulchella.