Brodiaea is a genus of herbaceous perennials that grow from corms and includes about 17 species. All are native to California and the adjacent areas of western North America. The genus name commemorates James Brodie (1744–1824), a Scottish botanist who studied ferns and mosses. Note that the name "Brodieae" is commonly misapplied to species in other genera such as Triteleia and Dichelostemma. The plants can grows to about 20 inches high and display grass-like foliage and bare stems holding a number of blue to purple flowers. In general, they prefer full sun but tolerate up to 25% shade during any given day. It grows best in well-drained soil in full sun. It will tolerate partial sun, but flowering will be limited in shade. It tolerates moist soil and drought, is happy with moist soil in the spring and winter and relative dryness in the summer, and the flowers are fragrant and make good cut flowers. They are not particularly cold hardy, incurring injury at temperatures below 23 degrees F. and would appreciate about 2 inches of mulch over the winter. There are several species available for garden use. They help extend the bulb blooming season as they bloom in early summer. Use in sunny borders or groups. They are West Coast natives with specific needs, so they are not suitable for growing in the Southeast United States. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No known issues.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 8 in. | Width: 0 ft. 9 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Between one and six narrow leaves are produced from the corm. Leaves are basal; blade linear, crescent-shaped in cross section.
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star; Tubular
Flower detail
Flowering stem carries a number of flowers. Individuals have six blue to purple tepals, joined at the base to form a tube. The outer three tepal lobes are narrower than the inner three.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Fruit capsules are ovoid. Seeds are black, rounded to flattened, and coated with crust with longitudinal surface striations.
Stem detail
Flowers bloom on wiry stems rising to 12-24” tall.