Hi Gang, I always think of Dodecatheon as an early California wildflower and bulb, even though it does not make a bulb. Dodecatheon is in the primrose family. Plants in the genus make an underground storage organ that could be typical of many dicots: a short underground caudex or crown with storage roots attached. Maybe the roots have buds sometimes. Overall, the roots are (apparently) anatomically similar to dahlia, peony, or carrot roots. The underground part of a Dodecatheon plant is nothing at all like an onion bulb; there is no tunic and no basal plate. LINK: Image: Hibiscus moscheutos storage roots and crown (similar to Dodecatheon) http://hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs300/jpeg/… I guess, early on, as a wannabe plant nut, I thought Dodecatheon was a bulb-type plant and the thought has persisted. Dodecatheon has features that suggest the most exiciting aspects of horticultural bulbness. The flowers are exquisately beautiful and exotic, and not easily described. The colors can be rich and intense, and intricately arranged. Maybe Dodecatheon can be an honorary genus of bulbs, not as intelligent as tulips but every bit as beautiful. LINK: The Genus Dodecatheon, info http://ghs.gresham.k12.or.us/science/ps/… Cordially, Joe Conroe TX The weather is warm now. Roses continue blooming but have passed their big push. Some tropical plants are entering their exponential growth phases.
