The call for bulbs and corms

From castles to cottage gardens

The Call for Bulbs and Corms is searching all across Sweden for older varieties of crocuses, dahlias, lilies, pearl hyacinths, snowdrops and tulips. We want to find and document bulbs and corms that have been cultivated for at least 65 years, i.e. since before 1940.

Bulbs and corms have been grown in Sweden since the Middle Ages, and the first to arrive were likely daffodils and snowdrops. It was mainly castles, manors, large estates and botanical gardens that began to grow bulbs during the 1600's. Not until the 1800's did the general public start to grow them as ornamentals. We have established this from the tips we have received. Naturalised bulbs, left on their own, are commonly seen to spread with the years. They are mainly found on larger estates and associated parks but also near abandoned crofts.

Because Sweden is a large country we expect to find regional differences in the species and varieties of bulbs and corms. While tulips are often reported from the south region, letters from the northern parts frequently tell about fire lilies.

Contact

Lök och knöluppropet
Centrum för biologisk mångfald
Box 57
230 53 Alnarp
Sweden
E-mail: lokochknoluppropet@pom.info

Kontaktperson:
Karin Persson, project leader
Phone +46 40 41 55 86