Colby Flower Shops

Colby KS News

Jul 26, 2019

Even an Endangered Flower Is Flourishing in California's Spring Super Bloom - NBC Southern California

Patches of small purple flowers dot a field of dried grasses off Glendora's Colby Trail in what a local expert is calling a super bloom for the endangered flower. Brodiaea filifolia only has "seven sizeable populations" in the world, Ann Croissant, president of the Board of Directors for the Glendora Community Conservancy, told NBC4 Media Partner KPCC. Glendora's population of Brodiaea is the only location in Los Angeles County. It's also Glendora's city flower. "Usual flowering numbers from year to year are not enough for a super bloom," Croissant said. "It takes extraordinary weather, temperature, water, nutrition, conditions that we might call 'the perfect storm' for a super bloom." Croissant says the temperatures, rain, and conditions after the Colby Fire were "just right," and likely made the "dramatic difference in the huge abundance of plants and bloom" of the flower in April and May at the location. The Brodiaea are flourishing in three spots in Glendora, including the field on Colby Trail, where over 8,000 plants were seen, she said. The Colby Tr...

Nov 28, 2018

Endangered Brodiaea plant produces ‘super bloom’ in hills above Glendora - The San Gabriel Valley Tribune

When the Conservancy began buying land to preserve plant and animal species in the hills above Glendora and Azusa, it purchased property known as the Colby Trail at the top of Loraine Avenue in eastern Glendora. On a meadow badly damaged by agricultural activity, botanists counted 900 plants in 1993. That grew to 6,900 plants in 2012 and about 8,500 today, Croissant estimates. “They are spectacular. It’s just incredible what’s going on even in the lower level of the Colby Trail,” she said. “This is the best bloom I’ve ever seen.” The debutantes of the bloom ball being celebrated in Southern California this spring don’t display a blanket-like palette like the state flower, the orange-hued California poppy, as seen in record numbers in Hemet, Lancaster and Chino Hills. Instead, the thread-leafed Brodiaea, as they are more commonly known, bunch in clusters of eight to 10, standing tall on thin, spindly, green stems, unfurling their star-like purple-striped flowers under the shade of an oak or amidst the shelter of the taller, beige-colored wild oat plants. On Thursday, Croissant walked the lower meadow, explaining how the unusual plant deposits its seeds, known as corms, in the volcanic, clay soil during the winter unique to the Glendora hills. A bounty of rainfall grew the green leaves and stems, producing flowers three days before Earth Day, on April 19, she said. “Here they come!” she exclaimed, pointing to a bunch in the middle of the tall wild oats. “They sneak up on you.” Toward the south end of the 4-acre meadow, the bunches appeared more frequently. “They look for a place to hide, like finding a companion plant,” she explained. That way they can be protected from ravenous deer. “They are survivors.” Even the Colby Fire of January 2014 did not stop them. In fact, the ash from the fire helped enhance the soil, which helped the Brodiaea to germinate. These Brodiaea filifolia in Glendora are the purest of the species, she said. They are pollinated by a bee fly, which keeps their DNA the same. About 20,000 plants are thriving along the ridgeline above the Colby Trail. In Bluebird Canyon exist another 5,000 and about another 10,000 in another hillside can...

Jul 27, 2017

Endangered Brodiaea plant produces 'super bloom' in hills above ...

When the Conservancy began buying land to preserve plant and animal species in the hills above Glendora and Azusa, it purchased property known as the Colby Trail at the top of Loraine Avenue in eastern Glendora. On a meadow badly damaged by agricultural activity, botanists counted 900 plants in 1993. That grew to 6,900 plants in 2012 and about 8,500 today, Croissant estimates.“They are spectacular. It’s just incredible what’s going on even in the lower level of the Colby Trail,” she said. “This is the best bloom I’ve ever seen.”The debutantes of the bloom ball being celebrated in Southern California this spring don’t display a blanket-like palette like the state flower, the orange-hued California poppy, as seen in record numbers in Hemet, Lancaster and Chino Hills.Instead, the thread-leafed Brodiaea, as they are more commonly known, bunch in clusters of eight to 10, standing tall on thin, spindly, green stems, unfurling their star-like purple-striped flowers under the shade of an oak or amidst the shelter of the taller, beige-colored wild oat plants.AdvertisementOn Thursday, Croissant walked the lower meadow, explaining how the unusual plant deposits its seeds, known as corms, in the volcanic, clay soil during the winter unique to the Glendora hills. A bounty of rainfall grew the green leaves and stems, producing flowers three days before Earth Day, on April 19, she said.“Here they come!” she exclaimed, pointing to a bunch in the middle of the tall wild oats. “They sneak up on you.”Toward the south end of the 4-acre meadow, the bunches appeared more frequently.“They look for a place to hide, like finding a companion plant,” she explained. That way they can be protected from ravenous deer. “They are survivors.”Even the Colby Fire of January 2014 did not stop them. In fact, the ash from the fire helped enhance the soil, which helped the Brodiaea to germinate.These Brodiaea filifolia in Glendora are the purest of the species, she said. They are pollinated by a bee fly, which keeps their DNA the same.About 20,000 plants are thriving along the ridgeline above the Colby Trail. In Bluebird Canyon exist another 5,000 and about another 10,000 in another hillside canyon, she said.The Colby Trail is open to the public during the daytime. Croissant re... (The San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

Jun 2, 2017

'Once in a lifetime' super bloom appears near Glendora

Croissant told KPCC.The Brodiaea is Glendora’s City Flower and is native to the area.Visitors can see the bloom along the Colby Trail, which is open during the daytime, according to the Glendora Community Conservancy website.  A lecture on the rescue and management of the plant will be presented by the San Gabriel Mountain Regional Conservancy on May 20 at the Glendora Library. "This is something that only happens every 100 years," Croissant said. "We were taking kids out, in fact, to see the super bloom because this may never happen again in their lifetime."Croissant said for the next few weeks, the Brodiaea should continue to bloom. With contributions from Matt Bloom... (89.3 KPCC)

May 25, 2017

Endangered Brodiaea plant produces 'super bloom' in hills above Glendora

When the Conservancy began buying land to preserve plant and animal species in the hills above Glendora and Azusa, it purchased property known as the Colby Trail at the top of Loraine Avenue in eastern Glendora. On a meadow badly damaged by agricultural activity, botanists counted 900 plants in 1993. That grew to 6,900 plants in 2012 and about 8,500 today, Croissant estimates.“They are spectacular. It’s just incredible what’s going on even in the lower level of the Colby Trail,” she said. “This is the best bloom I’ve ever seen.”The debutantes of the bloom ball being celebrated in Southern California this spring don’t display a blanket-like palette like the state flower, the orange-hued California poppy, as seen in record numbers in Hemet, Lancaster and Chino Hills.Instead, the thread-leafed Brodiaea, as they are more commonly known, bunch in clusters of eight to 10, standing tall on thin, spindly, green stems, unfurling their star-like purple-striped flowers under the shade of an oak or amidst the shelter of the taller, beige-colored wild oat plants.AdvertisementOn Thursday, Croissant walked the lower meadow, explaining how the unusual plant deposits its seeds, known as corms, in the volcanic, clay soil during the winter unique to the Glendora hills. A bounty of rainfall grew the green leaves and stems, producing flowers three days before Earth Day, on April 19, she said.“Here they come!” she exclaimed, pointing to a bunch in the middle of the tall wild oats. “They sneak up on you.”Toward the south end of the 4-acre meadow, the bunches appeared more frequently.“They look for a place to hide, like finding a companion plant,” she explained. That way they can be protected from ravenous deer. “They are survivors.”Even the Colby Fire of January 2014 did not stop them. In fact, the ash from the fire helped enhance the soil, which helped the Brodiaea to germinate.These Brodiaea filifolia in Glendora are the purest of the species, she said. They are pollinated by a bee fly, which keeps their DNA the same.About 20,000 plants are thriving along the ridgeline above the Colby Trail. In Bluebird Canyon exist another 5,000 and about another 10,000 in another hillside canyon, she said.The Colby Trail is open to the public during the daytime. Croissant re... (The San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

Aug 15, 2016

2016 Larimer County Fair results: Department OJ

Open Garden Flowers - Garden Flowers - Rose, hybrid tea rose, 1 Blue - George Colby, Fort Collins Red - Dee Colby, Fort Collins White - Kathy Disney, Loveland Open Garden Flowers - Garden Flowers - Rose, shrub rose, 2 stems Blue - Susan Epperson, Fort Collins White - Cindie Cogburn, Wellington White - Linda Wilson, Loveland Open Garden Flowers - Garden Flowers - Gladiola, single spike Blue - Jennifer Keen, Loveland Red - Mark Kochevar, Fort Collins White - Carolee Kochevar, Fort Collins White - Cynthia Sprague, Loveland Open Garden Flowers - Garden Flowers - Zinnias, giant, 5 stems Red - Dee Colby, Fort Collins Red - Michelle Colby, Fort Collins White - Cynthia Sprague, Loveland Open Garden Flowers - Garden Flowers - Phlox, 1 stem Blue - Susan Epperson, Fort Collins Blue - Patricia Kuyper, Windsor Open Garden Flowers - Garden Flowers - Marigold, large, 5 stems Blue - Cynthia Sprague, Loveland Red - Tristan Hahn, Windsor White - Dee Colby, Fort Collins Open Garden Flowers - Garden Flowers - Marigold, dwarf, 5 stems Blue - Dave Rubenthaler, Fort Collins Red - Cynt... (Open Flowers - Loveland Reporter-Herald)