StarFlowers are dainty little spring charmers that are native to South America (Peru and
Argentina), bearing solitary, funnel-shaped, almost white to violet blue flowers in early
spring.
They have been included in and moved between many different genera. Some alternative botanical
names include Brodiaea uniflora, Milla uniflora and Triteleia uniflora.
Their six petaled, star-shaped flower can be an inch or more across and begin appearing in late
February and continue through March. Flower colors range from almost white to violet blue, with
a dark central vein. Although each stem carries only one flower, a single bulb sends up several
stalks over a period of many weeks.
The long, slender, bluish-green, grass-like foliage of these plants has a smell of onion or garlic,
when crushed or bruised. Foliage appears in the fall then lies on the ground over winter, dying
back and disappearing altogether in the summer.
Their low growth makes them especially attractive for use as ground covers in moist, shaded sites
or as an edging in beds and borders. Plant in drifts in the rock garden or border front, along
paths, in semi-wild areas or under trees and shrubs.
Plantings of 20 or more bulbs makes for a delicate, eye catching show in spring, and can be used
to add gentle color accents to the dappled shade of a woodland setting. They can also be very
successfully grown in pots or containers on a bright windowsill.
