Lighting

The Zimbabwean national flower and one of my firm favourites! Sow in spring for summer flowering. Stunning attractive Scarlet and yellow flowers resembling flames, the flame lily does well in sun or in dappled shade. Easy to grow, it adds stunning colour to your garden and is a stunning centre piece as a cut flower in an arrangement.

"Flame lily", an iconic creeper which grows in the summer months and has tendrils on leaf tips with orange & yellow flowers. This is an orange flowering variant.

USDA Zone - 9

Season to Sow - Spring

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SEEDS AND PARTS OF THE PLANT ARE TOXIC. THEY SHOULD NOT BE PLANTED WHERE CHILDREN OR ANIMALS HAVE ACCESS TO THE PLANTS OR SEEDS.

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Sparaxis (Harlequin Flower) is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa. All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer. Their conspicuous flowers have six tepals, which in most species are equal in size and shape. The genus name is derived from the Greek word sparasso, meaning "to tear", and alludes to the shape of the floral bracts.

Growing to 30cm with large violet flowers in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Romulea is a genus in the Iridaceae family of about 90 species that is found both in South Africa and in Europe. They are quite striking, and there is a great variation in colour and markings of the flowers. They are easy to grow in pots and many are easy from seed, flowering rather quickly in some cases.

Growing 7-20cm with shiny rose to salmon pink flowers with blotches or veins in throat flowering winter to spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Hesperantha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words hesperos, meaning "evening", and anthos, meaning "flower".

Growing to 25cm a summer growing plant with beautiful deep pink flowers in autumn. Likes the shade.

USDA Zone - 7

Season to Sow - Spring

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

The genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include: sword-like leaves, and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained soil. The popular corn lily has specific, not very intense fragrance as vegetables. That is why it's often visited by many insects such as bees. The Ixia are also used sometimes as ornamental plants. The genus name is derived from the Greek words ixias, meaning "the chameleon plant", and physis, meaning "bladder".

Growing between 20-50cm with broad leaves and pink-purple flowers in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Veltheimia is a genus in the Hyacinthaceae family with two species that are native to South Africa.

Grows to 40cm a winter growing plant with undulating leaves in a rosette, raceme of pendulous cylindrical yellow flowers flowering in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Freesia is a genus in the Iridaceae of about 14 species from southern Africa, mostly from the winter rainfall region of South Africa.

Growing to 20cm with scented cream flowers with darker markings flowering in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Sparaxis (Harlequin Flower) is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa. All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer. Their conspicuous flowers have six tepals, which in most species are equal in size and shape. The genus name is derived from the Greek word sparasso, meaning "to tear", and alludes to the shape of the floral bracts.

Growing to 65cm with pink to red flowers marked with yellow & purple, flowering in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Dilatris is a genus of herbs in the family Haemodoraceae, first described as a genus in 1767. The entire genus is endemic to Western Cape Province in South Africa.

"Rooiwortel" growing to 0.5m it features showy mauve flowers in spring with pointed tepals with long stamens. Makes great cut flowers and the seed heads are decorative.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Moraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore. Moraeas have iris-like flowers and were at first regarded as members of the genus Iris, but most of them are smaller than most irises and commonly they are more precise in shape and with a stiffer perianth and more definite markings. Some have strong, pleasant scents, while others have none to speak of. Plants of the genus now called Dietes once were considered to be in the genus Moraea, but were separated on the grounds that they were rhizomatous. In contrast, all Moraea species have corms.

Growing to 65cm with yellow flowers with beautiful orange centres flowering in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Moraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore. Moraeas have iris-like flowers and were at first regarded as members of the genus Iris, but most of them are smaller than most irises and commonly they are more precise in shape and with a stiffer perianth and more definite markings. Some have strong, pleasant scents, while others have none to speak of. Plants of the genus now called Dietes once were considered to be in the genus Moraea, but were separated on the grounds that they were rhizomatous. In contrast, all Moraea species have corms.

Growing 2.5-15cm with ciliate leaves and 1 large fragrant white/blue/yellow/brown flower. Flowers from winter to spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Babiana is a genus of flowering plants in the Family Iridaceae composed of about 80 species. Most of these species (about 49) are found in the south-western Cape of Africa, with the remainder distributed in Namaqualand and Northern Cape Province. The native range of the genus is from southern Namibia to the Eastern Cape to southern Zimbabwe, with one species from Socotra off the coast of Somalia (although this may not be a species of Babiana). The genus name is derived from the Dutch word babianer, referring to the African ape that consumes the corms of plants in the genus.

Growing up to 20cm with violet to pale blue scented flowers marked with yellow/purple flowering in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

The genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include: sword-like leaves, and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained soil. The popular corn lily has specific, not very intense fragrance as vegetables. That is why it's often visited by many insects such as bees. The Ixia are also used sometimes as ornamental plants. The genus name is derived from the Greek words ixias, meaning "the chameleon plant", and physis, meaning "bladder".

Growing to 30cm with 3 falcate leaves an 2-6 blue-purple flowers with yellow throat in a wiry twisted spike with twisted branches flowering in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Moraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore. Moraeas have iris-like flowers and were at first regarded as members of the genus Iris, but most of them are smaller than most irises and commonly they are more precise in shape and with a stiffer perianth and more definite markings. Some have strong, pleasant scents, while others have none to speak of. Plants of the genus now called Dietes once were considered to be in the genus Moraea, but were separated on the grounds that they were rhizomatous. In contrast, all Moraea species have corms.

Growing 9-25cm bears leaves with wavy margins and large yellow flowers in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Sparaxis (Harlequin Flower) is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa. All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer. Their conspicuous flowers have six tepals, which in most species are equal in size and shape. The genus name is derived from the Greek word sparasso, meaning "to tear", and alludes to the shape of the floral bracts.

Growing 15-45cm with a spike of star-shape white/cream flowers in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Geissorhiza is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the iris family which originate from South Africa. The genus name is derived from the Greek words geisson, meaning "tile", and rhizon, meaning "root". Geissorhiza are found in the winter rainfall region of the south and west coasts of southern Africa. Many of them make very handsome container plants and benefit from extra water during growth. Geissorhiza blooms during the day.

Growing to 20cm with terete leaves and pretty pale yellow flowers, flowering in spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Bulbinella is a genus of plant in the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae. Most species are endemic to South Africa, confined to the winter rainfall area with a few in New Zealand where they are most common in the central Otago region which enjoys a similar climate to the Cape Region of South Africa. They are characterised by the presence of a dense terminal raceme of flowers, often yellow but also white, pink, yellow or orange depending on the species. In the New Zealand species only species with white and yellow flowers occur. Each flower occurs in the axil of a bract and has 1 nerved perianth segments that are almost free. Each flower has 6 stamens. The seeds are characteristically shield shaped and there are one or two seeds in each chamber. The plants may grow up to 1 metre in height and have narrow or thread like but never succulent leaves. The leaves decay into prominent fibres at the base of the stem, often netted or reticulate in appearance. They tend to overwinter and aestivate with wiry or swollen tubers.

Growing up to 0.6m the plant has a pink bud opening to white flowers in Spring and they make great cut flowers.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Moraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore. Moraeas have iris-like flowers and were at first regarded as members of the genus Iris, but most of them are smaller than most irises and commonly they are more precise in shape and with a stiffer perianth and more definite markings. Some have strong, pleasant scents, while others have none to speak of. Plants of the genus now called Dietes once were considered to be in the genus Moraea, but were separated on the grounds that they were rhizomatous. In contrast, all Moraea species have corms.

Growing 40-90cm it is a summer growing plant with a solitary leaf and blue-violet flowers with yellow nectar guides flowering in summer to autumn.

USDA Zone - 7

Season to Sow - Spring

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Cyrtanthus is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family. This highly ornamental genus encompasses about 60 species. It is endemic in the southern and eastern parts of Africa and is represented in all nine provinces of South Africa, with the highest concentration of species occurring in the southern parts of Eastern Cape. The name Cyrtanthus refers to the curved perianth tube of many of the species and is derived from the Greek kyrtos meaning curved and anthos meaning flower. This genus is highly valued horticulturally. Species differ greatly in the colour, size, shape and position of the flowers.

Growing to 40cm with bright red flowers and evergreen foliage it is easy to cultivate. Likes semi to shady areas and well-drained sandy soil.

USDA Zone - 7

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.

Romulea is a genus in the Iridaceae family of about 90 species that is found both in South Africa and in Europe. They are quite striking, and there is a great variation in colour and markings of the flowers. They are easy to grow in pots and many are easy from seed, flowering rather quickly in some cases.

Growing 5-25cm with leaves spirally twisted and fragrant buttercup-yellow to cadmium-orange flowers in winter to spring.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn

Photos with credit to the late Rod and Rachel Saunders, eminent experts on South African indigenous flora.