Blue Funnel Lily (Androstephium caeruleum)

Blue Funnel Lily (Androstephium caeruleum)
(c) Russell Pfau, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Russell Pfau

At a glance

Exposure
Full sun
Frost limit
−12.2 °C

Cultivation

Requires a very well-drained rich sandy loam and a sunny position. When the bulbs are planted about 15cm deep, they are generally hardy in Britain. Another report says that plants are hardy to -10°c or more if the drainage is perfect. This species is sometimes included in the genus Bessera.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a frame or greenhouse until large enough to go outdoors. Plant out whilst the plants are dormant in the autumn. Division of offsets when the plant is dormant in late summer.

Edible uses

Bulb.

Habitat

Prairies.

Native range

Southern N. America - Kansas to Texas.