← Back to results

Fool's-onion

Triteleia hyacinthina

geophyte View on Calscape

Care

Sun

full sun

Water

very low

Soil

Fast, Medium, Slow; Found in a variety of soils, sometimes slightly saline.

Size

1–2ft tall , 1–1ft wide

Bloom

Mar-May

Foliage

Deciduous

Deer

Resistant

Container

Friendly

Flowers

Prized

Edible

Corms cooked and eaten as traditional food

Native Range

Interior valleys and foothill grasslands of northern and central California from Humboldt County to Kern County, 500-3000 ft elevation.

Care Guide

Planting

Plant Fool's-onion in full sun where it will get direct light all day. It's extremely flexible about soil - it grows in fast, medium, or slow-draining soils and can even handle slightly saline conditions - so drainage isn't a concern like it is with pickier plants. Plant in fall or early winter so the corms can establish before spring blooms arrive in March through May.

After Planting

Water regularly during the first growing season to help the corm establish, then taper off significantly once you see growth. Once established, this plant needs almost nothing - just a maximum of twice monthly irrigation in summer. The #1 mistake people make is overwatering; this native is genuinely drought-tolerant and will rot if you keep the soil wet. Expect the foliage to disappear in summer dormancy, which is completely normal, and the plant will return reliably each spring.

Visit Calscape for more information about Fool's-onion