Chlorogalum Species, Amole Lily, Soap Plant

Mine volunteered in my garden and surprised me. I had no idea what it was, but a friend who knows wild flowers told me. She also said t...Read Morehat their northern range is usually southern Oregon. I had wondered what the flowers were like, until I came back from my mailbox as the sun was setting recently, and found the flowers blazing away. I am hoping for more through self seeding.

do not eat the bulbs raw they can be toxic. also do not confuse with death camas, people have mix these up in the past with ill effects.

Soap plants make their appearance in late winter, taking advantage of the rainy season for growth. They survive the heat of California su...Read Moremmers without water by sometimes going dormant in late summer or fall. The leaves are attractive and wavy, though some more so than others, and grow in a rosette form from the bulb. They are somewhat variable in color, but those in my area of the Sacramento Vally in Northern California tend to be glacous with a light yellow-green central vein. Blooms appear on tall branched stalks in late spring or early summer in the Sacramento Valley, and mid-summer in the surrounding foothills. They are also variable in color from white to pale purple, with the ones in my area being solid white. Flowers begin to open just before dusk. After they have been open for awhile they emit a soft vanilla-like scent.

I live in a rural area and they grow wild in my front yard. After dark in mid-summer my front yard is pleasantly perfumed by their delicate scent.

These grow wild in my yard and garden, the flowers aren't particularly showy, but they're nicer than some of the weeds that might grow ot...Read Moreherwise - and appear to have some useful properties. I've transplanted a few when doing landscaping. They're tough enough to grow in areas with a moderate amount of foot-traffic, and seem to do a good job of preventing erosion on my hillside.