Chionodoxa Luciliae, Glory-of-the-Snow

By early April many more bulbs are emerging. These plants have a neat system of storing enough energy in a bulb to estivate (go dormant) in the heat of summer, as well as being able to survive frigid winter conditions. It is not surprising to learn that many of our familiar bulbs originally evolved in areas quite similiar in climate to that of New Mexico. The Caucasus Mountains, The Arals, The Drakensbergs all have native species which naturalize very well here.