California is blessed with one of the largest and most diverse number of bulb species in the world. They range from tiny plants only an inch high that require a hand lens to appreciate to spectacular lilies 8 or 10 feet tall. They grow in every habitat, from the coast to the great valley, from the hottest desert to the highest mountain.

Native California bulbs are unexcelled for beauty, range of shape and color. They are persistent and spread readily once mature; some can be found in large masses of tens of thousands.

 
They are indeed the jewels of the garden; the flowers reflect light and have a sheen that draws your eye, and they have brilliant colors and elegant, unique shapes that attract specialized pollinators — bulbs are great pollinator plants.

 
Bulbs combine beauty, utility and ease of care — zero work once planted, you just need to protect them from gophers and deer. And you can even eat them — almost all have ethnobotanical uses.

 
Nancy's talk will focus on California native bulbs, corms and rhizomes that grow within our local region, as well as some very garden-worthy ones from other areas of California. The presentation will explain and illustrate various types of geophytes and their strategies for survival, how to successfully garden with our native bulbs, and their ethnobotany and ecological importance.  
 
The show includes a native bulb bloom calendar and includes detailed descriptions of each bulb species, illustrated with photos taken by Nancy and Ames, along with their specific horticultural preferences and requirements.

For more information, contact secretary@redbud-cnps.org.