| Common Name |
Bluedicks, Wild Hyacinth, Few Flowered Blue Dicks,
Common Saita, Common Brodiaea, Conjested Snakelily |
| Latin Name |
Dichelostemma
capitatum |
| Family |
Liliaceae |
| Sunset zones / USDA zones |
/ 10-11 |
| Type / Form |
Shrub / Small |
| Native Habitat |
Between
1,000 feet and 7,000 feet in western North America |
| Soil |
Dry, decomposed granite, sand, clay loam low in organic
content, well drained |
| Water |
Once or twice per month |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| Height X Width |
Under 6 inches |
| Protective Mechanism |
None |
| Leaves |
Silver, deciduous |
| Flowers |
Light blue flowers late winter to mid-spring |
| Bark / Roots |
|
| Maintenance |
None |
| Propagation |
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. |
| Pests and diseases |
None |
| Landscape uses |
Ground cover, container, rock garden, low maintenance,
foliage accent, parkways, bedding |
| Garden Suitability |
Thornless, Songbird, Ethnobotanical |
| Ornamental Value |
Light blue flowers late winter to mid-spring |
| Nature Value |
Songbirds eat seeds |
| Native American Uses |
Bulb eaten raw or baked, seeds popped like popcorn and
eaten, flower eaten |
| Links |
|
| Images and data |
http://scitoys.com/botany/wild_hyacinth.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/plant_of_the_month_200904_Blue_Dicks.htm |
| Images and data |
http://www.delange.org/BlueDicks/BlueDicks.htm |
| Images and data |
http://www.desertmuseumdigitallibrary.org/public/detail.php?id=ASDM01118 |
| Images and data |
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64588/ |
| Images and data |
http://www.almaden.ibm.com/almaden/environs/wildflowers/bluedk.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=2718 |
| Images and data |
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DICAC5 |
| Images and data |
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/violets/violet23.html |
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichelostemma_capitatum |
| Image |
http://flickr.com/photos/maggie_others/2411210685/ |
| Image |
http://www.coepark.org/wildflowers/purple/dichelostemma-capitatum.html |
| Data |
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101564 |
| Data |
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Dichelostemma+capitatum+ssp.+capitatum |
| Data |
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Dichelostemma+pulchellum |
| Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/125.htm |
| Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.cnplx.info/nplx/species?taxon=Dichelostemma+capitatum+ssp.+capitatum |
| Distribution,
images, and data |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DICAP |
| Distribution,
images, and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=2720 |
