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I haven’t seen white asphodel for years, perhaps because it’s not easily available to buy in UK garden centres. That seems a pity to me, because it likes sunny, well-drained sites, so would do well around here. (If I’m honest, I have to admit that I’d forgotten about this plant until I came across it at Fullers Mill recently.)
The white, star-shaped flowers, each petal with its central brown pinstripe, are most attractive. They’re a bit like a camassia in form, but the flowers last for longer. White asphodel (Asphodelus albus) is a native Mediterranean plant that can flower from late spring into June and July.
Many years ago I did try growing asphodel in my garden in Scotland. I had great hopes of being able to take lots of photographs of these unusually-marked flowers. Sadly, it was not to be, because the plant didn’t survive its first winter. It’s said to be hardy down to between -5°C and -10°C, so probably wasn’t killed by winter cold. The soil in our Scottish garden was fairly heavy clay and could get quite wet in winter, so I think it’s more likely that the roots simply rotted.
It’s a plant that would probably be very happy growing in this garden, so I could try growing it again here. If you’re tempted to try it too, just be aware that it is somewhat toxic to both humans and animals, so might not be a good choice if you have little children or pets that are inclined to put things in their mouths. (That’s true of a surprising number of garden plants!) Now I shall be on the lookout for these delightfully striped flowers again…
The brown pinstripe adds to the good looks of the flowers and buds of white asphodel.
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 