A native of alpine meadows in western Asia, Puschkinia scilloides grows wild near the snowline, and that origin explains its unusual timing — blooming in late winter or very early spring when almost nothing else stirs. Each bulb produces a dense 4 to 6 inch clump of strap leaves and sweetly fragrant flowers in pale ice-blue, each petal marked with a darker stripe that gives the plant its common name. The genus honors the Russian botanist Mussin-Puschkin, who explored the Caucasus in the late eighteenth century.

Plant the bulbs 2 to 3 inches deep in fall, about 15 to 20 per square foot, in fertile well-drained soil in sun or part shade. They naturalize obligingly through both self-seeding and offsets, spreading into soft drifts under deciduous shrubs or at the front of a border. Summer drought poses no threat — the bulbs are dormant by then — but during the growing season consistent moisture supports the best display. Resist the urge to cut back the foliage after blooming; let it yellow and die down completely on its own.