Herb latin name: Calochortus uniflorus


Synonyms: Calochortus lilacinus


Family: Calochortaceae



Edible parts of Calochortus uniflorus:

Bulb - raw or cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Bulb


Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
April
to June

Scent:
Scented
Bulb

Habitat of the herb:

Low meadows on the eastern side of the Cascades.

Propagation of Calochortus uniflorus:

Seed - sow as soon as ripe or early spring in a cold frame in a very sharply draining medium. Stratification may be helpful. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 6 months at 15°C. Leave the seedlings undisturbed for their first two years growth, but give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. It is quite difficult to get the seedlings through their first period of dormancy since it is all too easy either to dry them out completely or keep them too moist when they will rot. After their second year of growth, pot up the dormant bulbs in late summer and grow them on for at least another 2 years in the greenhouse before trying them outside. Seedlings take about 5 - 7 years to come into flower. Division of the bulbs as soon as the foliage dies down. One report says that the bulbs must be planted into their permanent positions immediately, whilst another says that they can be stored overwinter and replanted in the spring. Stem bulbils, harvested from the stems after flowering. They can be stored cool and dry then planted in pots in the cold frame in the spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Low meadows on the eastern side of the Cascades.

Medicinal use of Calochortus uniflorus:

None known

Known hazards of Calochortus uniflorus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.