Snowy Onion

Flowering in late February in the rock garden is the tiny bulb, Ornithogalum chionophyllum. This genus of onion relative has both some garden treasures and horrific weeds. This gem is a narrow endemic to the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus between 2,000′ and 6,000′ elevation. If the Troodos Mountain don’t sound familiar, perhaps you’ve heard of their highest peak, Mt. Olympus. The specific epithet “chionophyllum” means snow friendly, which our plant certainly was last week.

Join us this coming weekend, Feb. 28-March 2, for the last weekend of our Winter Open Nursery & Garden Days, and check out what else is blooming in the garden. Local food trucks will be available, shop the sales greenhouses and join us for our free garden chat series, Gardening Unplugged, each day at 10:00am and 2:00pm.

Ornithogalum chionophyllum

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