Sternbergia lutea

Also Known As

Autumn Daffodil

Plant type

perennial, bulb / corm / tuber

size

H: 4"-8"
W: 4"-10"

planting zones

7a-10b

More Options

Sternbergia lutea plant details

Sternbergia lutea is a broadleaf deciduous perennial bulb / corm / tuber with green foliage. In fall yellow flowers emerge. Features grassy texture. Grows well with mostly sun - shade and even moisture water. Does well in well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Sternbergia lutea

Plant type: perennial bulb / corm / tuber
Plant family: amaryllidaceae
Foliage: deciduous green
Mature size: 4 IN - 10 IN - wide, 4 IN - 8 IN - tall
Flowers: yellow blooms in fall
Uses: clumping

GROWING CONDITIONS for Sternbergia lutea

USDA Zones: 7a - 10b
Sun exposure: mostly sun - shade
Watering frequency: even moisture
Resistant to: verticillium wilt
Soil needs: well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

A fall-bloomer, joining with autumn crocuses to provide cheerful fall color, this Mediterranean native has been cultivated in the US since colonial times. An amaryillis relation, in miniature, to only 6" tall or so, with bright yellow flowers in October. Best in bright, hot spots -- full sun or just a bit of shade -- but protected from winter winds and, preferably, from below freezing weather. Easily frost hardy in USDA zone 9 and above; possible with mulch and careful siting in USDA zone 8. Our clone from the University of California at Davis.

By: Cistus Nursery

"Perhaps the best of fall-flowering bulbs," writes John Bryan in his encyclopedic Bulbs. Though often called fall daffodil, sternbergia looks like a big, happy, lemon-yellow crocus. They thrive in sunny sites that are dryish in summer and not too harsh in winter. (Learn more.) Though grown since colonial days and "once plentiful" according to Elizabeth Lawrence, by 1942 they were "so neglected they disappeared from all but a few" old gardens. Isn't it time for a renaissance? 6-9", zones 6a-9b(10bWC)

By: Old House Gardens

Oh how I wish this thing was a little hardier! Looks overall like a crocus, but with large, glowing flowers a rich, brilliant shade of yellow that bloom in the fall, followed by the leaves which come up and stay over the winter before going dormant in the spring. One of the showiest of fall blooming bulbs, and spectacular in mass. Zone 7