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The Northern Asophodel produces tiny clumps of spiky foliage and white flowers with red anthers. Mine seems to be slightly smaller than is typical, with shorter flower spikes
but I think it is just a small selection of the species. I bought it from Tale Valley Nursery and their label says: "Small evergreen perennial from Japan with small sword shaped leaves held in fans 7.5cm tall. Small cogested spikes of white and red flowers from June to August. Cool, part shade in humus rich soil." Lee Petersen says: "The genus Tofieldia is named in honor of the English botanist Thomas Tofield (1730-1779), who significantly contributed to the study of British flora. The specific epithet coccinea is derived from the Latin word “coccineus,” meaning “scarlet” or “bright red,” referring to this species’ deep red stem. The name “northern false asphodel” indicates that this plant resembles true asphodels but belongs to a different botanical family. In Greek mythology, the term “asphodel” is associated with death and the underworld, where the Asphodel Meadows were one of the three divisions of the underworld alongside Elysium and Tartarus. The Asphodel Meadows were the realm where the majority of the deceased resided. Tofieldia coccinea is a northern species found in Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia, eastern China, North and South Korea, and Japan. It’s primary habitat is in tundra, in moderately drained areas with low organic content in montane to alpine zones." |
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