Zigadenus elegans

Description

Zigadenus elegans

Mountain Death Camas, Alkali Grass. This bulbous plant grows a dense tuft of thick grassy foliage from which rise flowering stems 30-60cm tall. The flowers, which are widely spaced on each stem are slightly cupped, 6 pointed stars, creamy white with a shiny two-pronged Chartreuse/green glandular blotch at the base of each petal. The reverse of each petal has a similar green stripe. Flowering is July to August. Allowed to form a clump the effect is both striking and refined. they come from the Northern United States, from Western Canada down to Texas and right through to the Eastern coast. They are native to Mountain meadows and rocky forest slopes. Best grown in a moisture retentive soil with plenty of water in the Spring and Summer in partial to full shade. Hardy to -15oC. CAUTION ALL PARTS OF THIS PLANT ARE POISONOUS (please read notes below). All members of the Genus Zigadenus contain significant quantities of steroidal alkyloids, similar to those found in Veratrum. They have a variety of extremely nasty effects including paralysis and ultimately death. For this reason they should be handled with care and sited in the garden where they are unlikely to be eaten by pets or handled by small children. Zigadenus is derived from the Greek words ‘zigon’ = yolk and ‘aden’ = gland, referring to the yolk shaped gland that appears at the base of the petals on some species. Liliaceae (Melanthiaceae)