About Ipheion uniflorum (Graham) Raf.
Ipheion uniflorum (Graham) Raf. is a small herbaceous perennial bulb plant. It produces flat, shiny, green, hairless, grass-like leaves that can grow up to 30 cm (12 in) long; when crushed, the foliage releases an onion-like scent. Its stem reaches up to 20 cm (8 in) tall, and bears a single showy flower in spring, which is the origin of the species epithet uniflorum, meaning "single flower" in Latin. Each flower is star-shaped, honey-scented, has six pointed lobes up to 3 centimeters long, and comes in shades ranging from very pale to deep purple-blue. Ipheion uniflorum has been cultivated in the UK since 1820, when bulbs collected near Buenos Aires were first brought to the country. It is recommended to grow it in a well-drained outdoor location, or as a long-flowering pot plant in an unheated greenhouse. Multiple named cultivated forms exist, some of which may be hybrids. Named cultivars include 'Wisley Blue', which has clear lilac blue flowers; 'Froyle Mill', which has deeper violet blue flowers; and 'Album', which has white flowers. The white-flowered cultivar 'Alberto Castillo' has larger flowers; it was collected in the 1980s by Alberto Castillo, owner of Ezeiza Botanical Garden, from an abandoned garden in Buenos Aires. In the United States, this species is reported to be hardy to USDA Zone 5, and is recommended for mass planting in borders, alpine gardens, and other areas, or for naturalizing in lawns. The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
