by Dr. F. Alice LeDuc
Triteleia – Triplet Lilies
Growing up in northern California I knew their flowers as Harvest Brodiaeas. I loved the tall stalks with an umbel of dancing flowers at the terminus. They look like an upside down, open umbrella with the trumpet shaped flowers at the end of each of the long petioles. The ones I knew had blue flowers but, in our area, Jackson County, we also have yellow-white and a rare yellow species. They are commonly known as Triplet Lilies.
There are four species in our area, the entire range of these species is from British Columbia south to California. The species you most commonly will see are Triteleia hendersonii – Henderson’s Stars; T. laxa – Wally Basket, Grassnut, Ithuriel’s Spear; occasionally T. grandiflora – Large- flowered Brodiaea; and rarely T. ixiodes – Pretty Face. In our area you can find three species, T. hendersonii, T. grandiflora, T. ixiodes, growing in dry sandy or gravelly soils most often on slopes. T. laxa can be found growing in clay soils in meadows and forest edges. All mostly on the western side of the Cascades.
All species grow from a bulb-like structure called a corm. They all have slender grass-like leaves from the base of plant. The inflorescence from the middle of the leaves on a tall stalk terminated with an umbel, a series of long peticels, each of which ends in a trumpet shaped flower. The differences are mainly in scape (stalk) length, length of flowers, length of tube verses lobes and attachment of stamens.
Let’s look at each species. Triteleia grandiflora, leaves, 2-3, are 20-70 cm long, the flower scape is 20-75 cm long and smooth. Flowers are, on peticels 4-5 cm long, 17-35 cm long, with stamens six attached on two levels (three and three). Flowers are blue to white, blooming from April to July. Triteleia laxa, leaves, 1-3, are 20-40 cm, the flower scape is 10-70 cm smooth with possibly roughness at base. Flowers are 18-47 cm long, with six stamens on two levels (three and three). Flowers pale to deep blue, sometimes bluish white, Blooming April to June. This is a complex species with a lot of variation. Triteleia ixoides, leaves 1-2, 10-50 cm, flower scape is 10-80 cm long and smooth usually. Flowers with peticels 1-9 cm long, are 12-27 cm long, with six stamens at one level, tube shorter or equal to lobes in length. Flowers straw color to golden yellow, blooming May to August. This is another complex species with a lot of variation. Triteleia hendersonii, leaves 15-40 cm long, flower scape 10-35 cm long and some roughness at base. Flowers 18-26 cm long, lobes two times longer than tube, and six stamens attached at the same level. Flowers are yellow to white with a conspicuous dark purple midvein, blooming May to July. The two blue species are easy to confuse as are the two yellow to white species. Though the latter are much easier to tell apart.
The species are popular in their native habitats among insects for their pollen and nectar. The corms are edible and are enjoyed by rodents and livestock as well as Indigenous people. The Indigenous people looked to Henderson’s Stars regarding them as signs of hope and renewal.
The ease of production of the corms has made these species popular as bulbous plants for the home landscape, they work well in beds, borders and rock gardens, tolerating sun to partial shade. They need well-drained soil, though Triteleia laxa is tolerant of clay soils as long as the soil is dry when the plants are dormant. Enjoy these beautiful early to mid-summer bloomers.
