Bulbs

Figured there weren't enough Chionodoxa species to warrant their own thread so this one can include the miscellaneous spring bulbs. This is my first Chionodoxa forbesii (luciliae) of the season.

First Muscari of the season is open...M. latifolium. This one is long-lived in the garden but does not multiply for me like the other popular species.

One of my favourite spring bulbs are the Erythronium. I don't have many selections yet but in time hope to add more. The first one opened today...E. dens-canis. I have loads of these, all originated from one bulb which, unfortunately, was a poor bloomer. I literally have hundreds but only one single bloom! Thankfully the foliage is attractive.

I plant many cultivars of Corydalis solida in hope of establishing a population with different flower colors. They cross and self seed in my woodland.

I have several cultivars of Narcissus but this species Narcissus cyclamineus is among the best of the genus. It is easy from seed.

I've been fascinated with Arisaema triphyllum for most of my life, starting when I was 10 years old and my parent's property had wild brush areas full of A. triphyllum, Trillium cernuum, and poison ivy. I would lift each and every hooded spathe to see what color they were, running the gamut from all pale green to near black, various striping, and everything in between. The species is amazingly diverse, and wherever I come across it, the recognition of A.

My first iris opened today...good ole Katherine Hodgkin...several other reticulata are poking through.

I'm sure several of you have Scilla blooming. My first ones opened today...S. miczenkoana (aka S. tubergeniana)

I always suggest that is important to retry growing the same species from multiple sources. Too often our knowledge of any plant species is from a single mass-produced source, certainly true with bulbs, depriving our knowledge of the true breadth of variability of a plant species. Even something as common as nodding onion, Allium cernuum, can be had in amazingly diverse and beautiful forms (and nondescript ugly forms) from such efforts.

I started this thread "Spring Crocus 2010" to post photos and information on the popular spring crocus. This year has been the mildest and earliest spring flowering ever, advancing the season for "first bulbs" by two full weeks over the last 10 years, with lots of species and hybrid crocus pushing the season to an extraordinarily early start. One species that is barely visible one day and all of a sudden after a warn day leaps forward into full flower is Crocus kosaninii.