Can anyone identify these pretty blue flowers?

http://www.wildfiregroup.com/flowers

They grow in my backyard in Boston, MA.

They come up in the very early spring in clusters, and last about a
week or so before they flowers die off. They look like clumps of grass
when the flowers fall off.

If you dig them up, you find small bulbs that are really easy and fun
to transplant.

I've been through a number of plant identification books, and I can't
find them.

Chionodoxa sardensis, aka Gentian Blue

Dave

"JourneyDancer" wrote in message
...
Can anyone identify these pretty blue flowers?

http://www.wildfiregroup.com/flowers

They grow in my backyard in Boston, MA.

They come up in the very early spring in clusters, and last about a
week or so before they flowers die off. They look like clumps of grass
when the flowers fall off.

If you dig them up, you find small bulbs that are really easy and fun
to transplant.

I've been through a number of plant identification books, and I can't
find them.

wrote:

Chionodoxa sardensis, aka Gentian Blue

I dunno. I've looked for flowers in the Gentian family in a number of
resources, and 1) I have yet to see a picture like the one I took, and
2) everywhere else says that Gentians are a summer/fall flower, but
the one's I have always come up in very early spring.


Dave

"JourneyDancer" wrote in message
...
Can anyone identify these pretty blue flowers?

http://www.wildfiregroup.com/flowers

"JourneyDancer" wrote in message
...
Can anyone identify these pretty blue flowers?

http://www.wildfiregroup.com/flowers


They look like some type of Scilla Siberica. I planted a bunch of these
among my naturalized daffs.

"JourneyDancer" wrote in message
...
Can anyone identify these pretty blue flowers?

http://www.wildfiregroup.com/flowers


They look like some type of Scilla Siberica. I planted a bunch of these
among my naturalized daffs.

I found a ton of pictures of Scilla Siberica - all of their flowers
sort of droop downwards to face the ground. Whatever it is that I
have, the flowers face upwards.

You're letting the common name confuse you. They are not the summer/fall
flowers, they are just sometimes called "gentian blue" because the color is
similar.

They look exactly like chionodoxa to me as well. They seed themselves about
and naturalize quite nicely. There's also a pink variety, with slightly
larger flowers. The one and only problem that I have with them is that the
voles eat them in years when we have snow cover all winter, like this last
winter. So I have very few flowers this year; however, the voles seem to
miss the smaller bulbs, and my population will rebound in a year or two.

Cheers,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

Chionodoxa sardensis, aka Gentian Blue

I dunno. I've looked for flowers in the Gentian family in a number of
resources, and 1) I have yet to see a picture like the one I took, and
2) everywhere else says that Gentians are a summer/fall flower, but
the one's I have always come up in very early spring.


Dave

"JourneyDancer" wrote in message
...
Can anyone identify these pretty blue flowers?

http://www.wildfiregroup.com/flowers

expounded:

I dunno. I've looked for flowers in the Gentian family in a number of
resources, and 1) I have yet to see a picture like the one I took, and
2) everywhere else says that Gentians are a summer/fall flower, but
the one's I have always come up in very early spring.

No, Gentian Blue is a variety, not a species name. I think Dave had
it right.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

"David J. Bockman" expounded:

Chionodoxa sardensis, aka Gentian Blue

I was going to say Chionodoxa siehei, I have them wild in my front
yard.
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

Actually I'm not certain they're sardensis, although they certainly appear
to be. Chionodoxa they certainly are.

Dave

"Ann" wrote in message
...
"David J. Bockman" expounded:

Chionodoxa sardensis, aka Gentian Blue

I was going to say Chionodoxa siehei, I have them wild in my front
yard.
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

Actually I'm not certain they're sardensis, although they certainly appear
to be. Chionodoxa they certainly are.

Ah ha! When I did some searching for Chionodoxa sardensis, I did find
photos that look just like my plants!