code: 693
This South African Gladiolus relative provides valuable colour
Family: Iridaceae
Common name: Hesperantha
Plant Classification: Hardy perennial
Minimum Height: 50 cm
Maximum Height: 60 cm
From clumps of sword-shaped leaves arise stems of cup-shaped flowers from white, through pinks to deepest vermilion. This South African Gladiolus relative provides valuable colour from August right through autumn and into winter if it remains mild.
Sowing advice: For best results, sow seeds immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. However, we sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, and often wait for spring before emerging regardless of when they are sown. But spring sowing will obviously give them a full season of growth if successful germination occurs.
