Sternbergia

The rather exquisite Sternbergia, mainly represented in cultivation by the winter daffodil, S. lutea. From open woods, rocky sites, from the Mediterranean through to central Asia. Flowers crocus-like, yellow, white, autumn through winter. Interestingly, despite the crocus-like flowers, Sternbergia are bulbs, in the family Amaryllidaceae and more closely related to Narcissus (daffodils) and Galanthus (snowdrops). Crocus are corms, in the family Iridaceae.

Producing both nectar and pollen, Sternbergia species are an important plant in the autumn garden, especially for bees and hoverflies feeding up before hibernation..