I had a couple of pleasant surprises during our glider ride at an airfield. The ride over Hidden Valley in Sonoma was a delight. Before entering the office, I spotted a large patch of Brodiaea. After picking some and researching, I realized they resembled Queen Fabiola, which I had thought was a hybrid. Instead, these were natural, beautiful umbels of blue flowers, like those I once sold when I started my bulb business and grew as cut flowers for five years. They have been reclassified as Triteleia.
We added them to the bouquet of wildflowers we had been identifying and collecting. However, we left the rare Mt. St. Helena faun lily untouched. In total, we found 20 varieties, with the Brodiaea and an unusual clover being the last ones. The airstrip owners mentioned the flowers had always been there and were not planted by anyone.
I’ve now added Brodiaea, Queen Fabiola, back to my bulb listings and plan to plant them in my pasture next year. I want to return to the airfield to dig some up, see how deeply they grow, and photograph them. Meanwhile, here’s a photo I found online of them planted in a border. They make a long-lasting cut flower, a lovely addition to perennial borders, and offer great value. Their commercial stems reach about 12 inches. Enjoy them in every setting!
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