Re: Hesperantha
- To: Mediterranean Climate Gardening e-mail forum <m*@ucdavis.edu>
- Subject: Re: Hesperantha
- From: M* M* <m*@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 15:15:23 -0800
Tim wrote:
>The spp concerned are all Heserpantha. Viz: Hh. backmannii,
cucculata,
>erecta and falcata. What I most want to know is: which of
these are
>summer-growing spp whose seed I need to sow in the spring
and which
>(if any) are winter-growers whose seed I need to sow in the
autumn?
>Any further tips (soil/compost? conditions required in
cultivation?
>hardiness levels?) would be much appreciated.=20
These are small bulbs with starry fowers.
H. bachmanii is white with yellow anthers, grows to 30 cm,
flowers opening in late afternoon. Supposed to be fragrant.
Grows in a variety of soils.
H erecta is white to pale yellow, to 22 cm. Flowers open at
midday. Sandy soils.
H. falcata is white to cream with red on the reverse.
Flowers open in afternoon. Sandy loam or clay.
The above is from Spring and Winter Flowering Bulbs of the
Cape, by Jeppe. Don't have info on H. cucculata.
I grow several species of Hesperantha in pots here. They do
fine in a mix of sand and peat, with some bulb fertilizer
added. The flowers are small and don't last terribly long,
but they're pretty little things.
The most colorful species, to my mind, are H. pauciflora and
H. purpurea (both magenta to purple) and H. vaginata (large
yellow with dark markings).
I don't know what their limits of hardiness are, but you
should assume they're tender until you prove otherwise.
Hope this helps.
Mike
