Description
Dichelostemma congestum wins the prize for unusual common names. How about fork-toothed ookow or blue dicks? Borne atop straight, slender stems are rounded clusters 2-3 inches wide packed with lilac-purple flowers in early summer. The foliage below is narrow and grass-like and dies down as the flowers open. Stems can reach 2-3 feet tall perfect for rising through sun-loving to add movement as the bees frolic to and fro. Appreciates a dry rest after flowering so perfect for hot, sunny borders, rock and gravel gardens, and containers. Pollinator attractor, especially bees. Nearly native to BC, its range reaches as far north as Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. We call this “native plant adjacent”. For native plant fans, this ookow is certainly part of our West Coast ecoregion and will have pollinator relationships with our local bees and butterflies.
