Help ID'ing a bulb? And what to do with adopted fall asters?

[Lorelai]

If you read my last thread, you might remember the "random mess" partially responsible for shading out the garden space next to my walkway. Well, I've been working on clearing that out - we've removed maple saplings, hazlenut saplings, rotted branches/ small trees, a poor diseased rhododendron, ivy, and blackberry vines. I still have a lot of work left, but I was surprised beyond belief when I discovered clumps of some kind of bulb underneath the thick layer of dead pine needles, etc. More investigating led to the discovery of a partially tipped over, mostly buried planter pot that the clumps seem to originate from.

So I can't post pictures, because my camera refuses to turn on (I know, right?), and I lack a smart phone. I'm hoping that you knowledgeable folks will be able to help. The plants are still quite small, some being taller than others, and no signs of flowers or buds of any kind. I dug one up (well, a couple, because they are clumped) to verify that it's a bulb, and yep, sure enough, these plants originate from tiny little bulbs. But I don't know what grows from little bulbs like this? Any ideas? I know this isn't much to go from... I assume they are flowers of some kind, because this garden is right at the front of the driveway by the road.

I adopted some purple fall asters (plus the sole remaining Blue Dutch Iris) free from the roadside today. Where in your garden, and in what conditions, do you find your asters do well? Thanks!

 

[so lucky]

OK, describe the bulb. Size, compared to a common object. Color? Shape? Are they connected together? Does the plant have any visable leaves? If so, please describe the leaves. You say they were in a pot? Possible a potted gift plant, such as some tulips, hyacinths or lilies. How big was the pot?

 

[Lorelai]

The bulbs are VERY small... like dime-nickel sized? The bulbs are pale white-ish, and they are not connected together, though they are growing in "clump" formation. The foliage is bright green, upright, kind of thin at this point, only a few leaves per bulb. I don't think they are tulips, daffodils, or lilies. The pot is still half way buried. I didn't want to disturb the plants growing above it, so I haven't dug it all the way out. It was maybe gallon sized? I'm just assuming the plants came from there, since they kind of spread in a trail beginning at the pot. Does that help?



ETA: I hope they aren't wild onion or chives or something. I haven't smelled them up close though.

 

[so lucky]

Grape hyacinths? Also, there is a little bulb that has a white flower on it, that I see blooming very very early spring. I used to call them snow drops, altho I don't know the right name. Or they could be wild garlic.....If you don't find out what it is, just watch and photo them when they bloom. You will be able to research at your leisure that way, if all else fails.

 

[Lorelai]

I'll give them a sniff tomorrow to see if they are onions or garlic. I'm crossing my fingers about the hyacinth! That makes more sense if they really did come from the planter pot. Of course, I've found some super random things in that garden bed so far, so I guess wild garlic wouldn't be the strangest...

 

[digitS']

grape hyacinths?

You could do a google search of their bulbs and see if they look similar, Lorelai.

I had fall asters in not such a great place. It shoulda had quite a bit of sun but my pickup was sitting right beside it too much of the time and both were on the east side of a fence. It grew and bloomed fairly well despite having some mildew much of the season. I finally damaged it with the weedeater and decided I may as well take it out.

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

Crocus comes to mind, but those are corms.

Lorelai, do they look like miniature gladiolus "bulbs" which are actually corms?

Does it look like there is an old shrivelled one under a healthy one?

or does it look like they try to make smaller ones on the sides?

or does it look like there are teeny solid white bumps near the roots?

does each bulb appear neat or not neat? unneat ones could be miniature iris.

they very well may be grape hyacinth. snow drops come to mind, if they look like miniature daffodils, and there are daffodil bulbs that can be that small, rare miniature ones. but those are still tallish.

It sure is nice to find things like that, isn't it!

 

[digitS']

Grape hyacinths? Also, there is a little bulb that has a white flower on it, that I see blooming very very early spring. I used to call them snow drops . . .

I see you beat me on the grape hyacinths, so Lucky .

I also think "snow drops" is the right name, at least common name. Lorelai should have had those blooming about a month ago. Tomorrow, I'll make my little walk beside a creek not too far from here. I'm quite sure the snow drops will be blooming there. My guess is that daffodils blooming in Bellingham must be real close or happening right now.

I'm not quite sure how all that might narrow the mystery of the tiny white bulbs . . . The wood hyacinths are growing but I don't think of those bulbs as tiny. They won't bloom until we actually have warm weather and it is always a relief to see them.

:coolsun

The chives have begun to grow. However, they are in a very shady location.

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

I'd suggest snow drops as well, however, Siberian squill, allium (such as allium roseum), paperwhites, and tuberroses as well as some oxalis are small bulbs that get an early start.

My monitor is on the way out. Right now all I see are shades of green on the screen and shades of white out the window. I can't identify flowers on catalog sites right now as they all look. . . . green.

 

[Lorelai]

Trying to find pictures of bulbs can be frustrating. Okay, I pulled one of the smaller ones up (it came up really easily) and smashed it - I didn't recognize any garlic or onion scent. DH tells me I have a "grizzly nose," so... for what it's worth. Interestingly, this bulb did appear to have a bit of that drier looking "shell," if that makes sense, like a head of garlic might. The ones I disturbed by mistake came out without that shell, looking bare and almost waxy, which is why my mind went the way of onion, etc.

After looking at some of your suggestions, Googling, and thinking about my geographic location, I think that they *might* be miniature Iris or the perhaps the Siberian squill. It might even be Ornithogalum Umbellatum, which I found mentioned in another thread during a Google search. The bulbs are slightly more oblong than rounded, but it's kind of hard to tell, since they're young yet. They are smooth, not bumpy, and definitely are not attached to one another (at least, the roots are still so young that they are not attached, if that makes sense?), though they are coming up in clump formation.

Thanks for your help - I guess it will just have to be a surprise! It looks like I've found someone in my area who is sharing large clumps of Purple Iris, Crocosmia (orange), Tiger Lilies, and Dbl. Orange Day Lilies (also Stella d'oro, Going Bananas, and Jungle Princess, though she's not widely advertising those because has limited numbers to share) for fairly inexpensive, so woo-hoo! I mentioned my location and she said she thought they would do well there.

Now I just need to think of the best place for those Purple Fall Asters. Based on my Google search, they are a shorter variety that mounds, so I was thinking, perhaps along my walk way? I guess I can always move them later if they don't thrive, but I need to get them in the ground today!