Requires a rich well-drained sandy loam. Likes plenty of moisture whilst in growth followed by a warm dry period in late summer and autumn. Succeeds outdoors in a very sheltered warm position. Plants grow in patches in the wild and these can cover considerable areas.

Bulb - raw or cooked. A sweet nut-like flavor, they can be used like potatoes. Said by some people to be the tastiest of the North American edible bulbs. At their best when slow roasted for an hour when they become rather sweet. Young seedpods - cooked as a potherb. An excellent green.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Alternatively, the seed can be sown in spring in a cold frame. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°c. Sow the seed thinly so that there is no need to prick them out and grow the seedlings on in the pot for their first year. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not become mineral deficient. Seedlings are prone to damping off so be careful not to overwater them and keep them well ventilated. When they become dormant, pot up the small bulbs placing about 3 in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for another year or two until the bulbs are about 20mm in diameter and then plant them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant in the autumn. Division of flowering size bulbs in autumn. Dig up the clumps of bulbs, replanting the larger ones direct into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up the smaller ones and grow them on in a greenhouse for a year before planting them out when they are dormant in early autumn.

Dry to moist soils, often in rocky areas, meadows, or open woods of valleys, hills and in mountains to about 2700 metres.