Identifying bulbs: Gardening from Blackpitts

The bulb of a camasia is a fantastic, may-flowering blue bulb that looks really good. It is tallish, two to three foot high, and looks fantastic naturalized in grass.

Tulip bulbs are pretty much always identifiable. The color can vary, but usually the darker ones have a slightly darker papery bit around it.

That bulb is an allium. This particular one is Allium hollandicum Purple Sensation. It flowers in May-June and has a perfect tennis ball-sized purple flower.

That bulb is called Iris reticulata. It is a very early iris that blooms in February-March. It is low and short, usually blue in color.

The weirdest bulb of all is an Eramurus, specifically the Himalayas variety. It is a great tall six-foot spike of flower that opens very slowly from the bottom, resembling a slowly exploding roman candle.