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Ipheion uniflorum
Also called Spring starflower., Spring Starflower, Springstar
Spring star is a small bulbous perennial related to onions, with grasslike leaves and a single star-shaped blue, purple or white flower in spring. Plant the bulbs in a well-drained spot in autumn for a reliable spring show.
Ipheion uniflorum is a species of flowering plant, related to the onions, placed in the allium subfamily (Allioideae) of the Amaryllidaceae. It is known by the common name springstar, or spring starflower. Along with all species of the genus Ipheion, some sources place it in the genus Tristagma, but research published in 2010 suggested that this is incorrect. It is native to Argentina and Uruguay, but is widely cultivated as an ornamental and reportedly naturalized in Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Ipheion uniflorum has been grown in the UK since 1820, when bulbs collected near Buenos Aires arrived in the country. It is recommended for growing in a well-drained position outside or as a long-flowering pot plant in an unheated greenhouse. Various named forms are in cultivation, some of which may be hybrids. 'Wisley Blue' is a clear lilac blue; 'Froyle Mill' is a deeper violet blue; 'Album' is white. The cultivar 'Alberto Castillo', also white, has larger flowers and was collected in the 1980s by Alberto Castillo, the owner of Ezeiza Botanical Garden, from an abandoned garden in Buenos Aires. In the United States, the species is stated to be hardy to USDA Zone 5 and is recommended for massing in borders, alpine gardens and other areas, or for naturalizing in lawns.
The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ipheion uniflorum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
