Jessie Flower

This small bulbous plant offers a long, fragrant flower with a bright blue color, from the end of winter to spring. Like all Ipheion, it develops graminiform foliage, which gives off a beautiful fragrance when it is crumpled.

Very rustic and easy to cultivate in any drained soil, it rests in summer, indifferent to heat and drought. It easily naturalizes on slopes, in rock gardens or border fronts.

The cultivar ‘jessie’ is a recent English variety, distinguished by its very bright color. As a matter of fact, the jessie is widely seen as the most intense blue ever obtained in all Ipheions.

The bulb grows at the end of summer with a tuft of linear leaves, which are pale blue-green in color. When in bloom, they stand 15 to 20 cm high, but they will disappear completely in summer.

Growing Jessie

At the end of winter (February-March), solitary flowers emerge, with a honey scent, 2 to 4 cm in diameter. Its blue color with a black heart contrasts with yellow stamens. They are directed upwards. They take the form of stars and are composed of six narrow petals.

In a cold climate, its long flowering begins at the same time as the first crocuses. The peak occurs during March and April, to the end in May, with the arrival of summer heat. In mild climates, flowering is spread from December to May.

Very hardy in drained soil, this plant needs dry and hot summers. It multiplies very quickly by the production of numerous bulbils.

The Ipheion ‘jessie’ spreads in borders, rock gardens, in front of a flower beds, along well exposed walls, or even in pots. Pick the flowers as soon as they bloom if you want to make bouquets.

Planting Jessie Flower

You should plant Ipheions uniflorum ‘jessie’ in autumn in sunny or partial shade. Place it in a fairly rich soil, which is well drained, to 8 cm deep and space the bulbs 8 cm apart. They do not require any special care or attention. You can even insert them in a rock garden.

During their growth period, make sure to water them once or twice a week. Then, you can add liquid fertilizer once a month in a pot, if necessary.

During the dormant period, in summer, leave them alone, as they should not be watered. In colder regions, provide protective mulch. Protect them from slugs and snails, which dine on the young shoots.

The Ipheions are planted from September to November in a normally cool, rich, and draining soil, preferably in the sun. They will be beautifully planted in large numbers, offering a carpet of blue stars.

How to Multiply Your Ipheion?

The key is by seeds. The seeds of Ipheion are obtained by allowing the capsules to mature. When these open, the seeds are sown immediately, since they do not support storage well. You can sow directly on clean soil, or sow under a cold frame, and then transplant after one year.

It happens that the Ipheion resumes spontaneously. It can become a regular plant in your garden, and you won’t have to do much to keep it. Seedlings take approximately three years to flower. Sowing does not allow varieties to be kept, but may be of interest if you want variations.

When the bulbs are at the end of the cycle, the leaves turn yellow; this is the best time to divide them. It is better to replant them immediately to prevent the bulbs from drying out. The division makes it possible to reproduce an identical variety.

Care and Maintenance of the Jessie Flower

This plant is easy to grow, without special care, if it does not have too much humidity in winter.

Protect it in winter, when the temperature drops below -10 ° C, by mulching with good pine needles.

Here’s a word of warning, though: be sure to mark their location, so as not to water during their dormant period. In summer their foliage disappears completely.

Eco-Friendly Tips

The Ipheion is associated with many plants:

First of all, you should be able to accompany it with botanical daffodils. It should be mixed with white or yellow flowers to make a beautiful planter.

Second of all, mix it with cyclamen, which flourishes at the same time, with oriental hellebores with purple and white flowers.

Also marry it with the decorative leaves of the cutterbar to form a solid and beautiful look in your garden.

Did You Know?

The Ipheions were first discovered in 1830 in Argentina. For decades, these small bulbs did not find their place in any classification. Botanists have placed them in different genres, without really agreeing where they really go.

Sometimes, they are known by other names. They were formerly called Brodiaea uniflora or Triteleia uniflora. Today, they excluded from these, though, and classified in another family.

Different cultivars have been selected, with more pronounced colors. ‘Frole Mill’ is purple; ‘Wisley blue’ is blue.  ‘Charlotte Bishop’ is pink, and ‘Alberto Castillo’ larger and white

The jessie flower is a beautiful plant with a sweet scent and gives off a smell of honey. In the shape of a flattened star, its color varies from white, bluish white, to purplish blue. Its petals are crossed by a central stripe of color more sustained on both sides. The jessie flower is cultivated on the edge, in rock gardens, border fronts, in trees or in pots. Pick the flowers as soon as they bloom if you want to make bouquets. The Ipheion also serves as an excellent ground cover to the point of becoming invasive.