Firecracker Flower (Dichelostemma ida-maia) - Garden.org

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General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 8b
Plant Height:	18 to 24 inches
Plant Spread:	6 inches
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Green Red Other: deep red tubular shaped flowers an inch long w/ yellowish green tips.
Flower Time:	Spring Late spring or early summer
Underground structures:	Corm
Wildlife Attractant:	Hummingbirds
Propagation: Seeds:	Other info: from seed to flower 3 years
Propagation: Other methods:	Stolons and runners Corms Other: may multiply by 'scoring' the corm; new corms produced on stolens

Common names

Firecracker Flower
Californian Firecracker Plant
Crimson Satin Flower

Botanical names

Accepted: Dichelostemma ida-maia
Synonym: Brevoortia coccinea
Synonym: Brevoortia ida-maia

Photo Gallery

Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: May 9, 2011 8:16 AM

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: Botanical Garden Barcelona (Spain)
Date: 2017-05-25

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

photo credit: Dinkum

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: central Illinois
Date: 5-19-06

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-01-21
First year for these in the garden and expecting a great spring b

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Location: central Illinois
Date: summer 2006

Uploaded by jmorth

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-04-12
Group of 50 bulbs, of this CA native via Holland, planted here wi

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Location: my garden
Date: 2017-04-18

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2005-05-21

Uploaded by jmorth

Comments:

Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Dec 2, 2011 1:42 AM concerning plant:

Native to the North Coast Ranges of California and Oregon. Legend has it that its name commemorates Ida May, daughter of a stage coach driver who directed an early botanist to its locale.
The flower's unusual form is considered to be an adaptation to allow hummingbird pollination Flowers remain attractive for a long period.

Reply to this comment
Posted by valleylynn (Oregon City, OR - Zone 8b) on Aug 28, 2014 3:07 PM concerning plant:

Dichelostemma ida-maia’s natural habit is at the edges of woods, coastal grasslands, and mountainous regions from Mendocino County, CA, north to Oregon.
It is said that this is the only species in the genus Dichelostemma that is pollinated by birds.

CARE:
Must be given dry condition during summer dormancy, and needs moisture in its growing season of spring and early summer. Seems to bloom better in full sun.
I'm not sure how this plant will do in hot humid summers (southern states), or in the more arid climates of the southwestern states.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
piksihk	On June 12, 2021	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
piksihk	On March 27, 2017	Bloomed
piksihk	On November 30, 2016	Potted up round ceramic pot along with red lycoris
HamiltonSquare	On January 9, 2018	Plant emerged Planted in October and just starting to emerge after heavy rains and mild winter weather. A very good start.

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
love it!! by Onewish1	Sep 25, 2011 2:47 AM	2

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