Hesperantha baurii
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Genus
- Hesperantha
- Height
- 0.2 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
Root[2]. No more details are given.
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- S. Africa - E. Cape, Natal, Transvaal.
- Habitat
- Moist grassland to 2450 metres[5].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - sow autumn in a greenhouse. Sow thinly and leave the seedlings undisturbed in the seed tray for their first year of growth. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up two or three of the small corms per pot when the plants are dormant in the autumn. Grow them on in a greenhouse until the corms are large enough to flower and then plant them out in the spring. Plants usually flower in 3 - 4 years from seed. Division of offsets when harvesting the corms. Store them until it is time to replant. If the offsets are small they can be grown in a greenhouse for their first year, otherwise they can be grown outdoors.
Cultivation
Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position[3]. This species should grow well in a moist peaty soil[5]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, but where temperatures seldom fall below freezing the corms can be successfully grown at the foot of a south facing wall or in a south facing border[1][3]. Plants from the higher altitudes of its range should be frost hardy[5]. Plant the corms about 10 - 15cm deep and give them a good mulch in winter[3]. Lift and dry off the corms when the growth dies down and store them in a cool place until it is time to replant them[3]. Corms can also be planted in spring, they will flower in the summer and can then be dug up in the autumn and stored in a cool frost-free place over winter[3]. The flowers open in the early evening and emit a sweet clove-like perfume[4].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30253-1