alkaline soils, botanic garden, botanical interest only, bulbs, crevice garden, fall bloomers, fall blooming, fall blooming bulbs, fall blooming perennials, fall bulbs, fall flowers, fall garden, fall gardening, fall perennials, geophytes, JLBG, juniper level botanic garden, Mediterranean plants, North American Rock Garden Society, Plant Delights Nursery, rock garden perennial, rock garden plants, rock gardening, Tony Avent, yellow flowers, zone 7b
Looking lovely in the garden today is the fall-flowering geophyte, Sternbergia sicula. This Mediterranean native is found in the wild growing on alkaline hilly sites. Some taxonomists list it as a subspecies of the more common Sternbergia lutea, but it seems consistently smaller. At JLBG, our plant thrives in the crevice garden. Hardiness is Zone 6a-8b.
What do you use to raise pH?
Lime, either Dolomitic or Calcitic depending on the soil test calcium levels.