Bulbs bring an element of surprise to the garden. Here now, gone for the season, only to come
back next year. Many have the ultimate drought avoidance mechanism,
they just drop all their foliage and wait it out until the conditions get nice
again. This list includes plants with true bulbs, corms and rhizomes. All are plants that
completely abandon their above ground foliage at one time of the year or another.
The potential list of bulbs, corms and rhizomes is a long one. There are a
few Tulips that tolerate our dry summer climate and will come back season
after season in spite of our warm winters. Freesia, Ixia, Scilla, and
Sparaxis species all do quite well in gardens lucky enough to have warm
Winters. Narcissus and Daffodils are often low chill enough to perform quite well.
I am fond of the species Gladiolus, Crocosmia and Watsonia group.
California sports a wealth of bulbs of its own, including Allium, Calochortus, Bloomeria, Frittilaria, Tritelia, Zigadenus species.
