Diascia Veronicoides - Indigenous South African Annual - 10 Seeds

Diascia is a genus of around 70 species of annual and perennial flowering herbs of the Scrophulariaceae family, native to southern Africa, including South Africa, Lesotho and neighbouring areas. The perennial species are found mainly in summer-rainfall areas such as the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg; about 50 species, mostly annuals, are found in the Western Cape and Namaqualand, winter rainfall areas. Their common name is twin spur, in reference to the two (usually downward-pointing) spurs to be found on the back of the flower. These help to distinguish them from the similar (and closely related) genera Alonsoa and Nemesia. The spurs contain a special oil, which is collected in the wild by certain species of bees that appear to have coevolved with the plants, as they have unusually long forelegs for collecting the oil. In gardens, diascia cultivars (mostly hybrids) have become extremely popular as colourful, floriferous, easily grown bedding plants in recent years.

Sow in autumn, this showy attractive annual growing to 60cm has stunning violet blue flowers.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn