Botanical Name: Watsonia spp.
Common Name: Watsonia
Use: Outdoors
Indigenous/Exotic : Indigenous
Evergreen/Deciduous : Deciduous / evergreen
Plant Type : Bulb
Flower Colour : Orange, salmon, yellow, red,
pink, lavender, white
Foliage Colour : Green
Best Season : Summer
Light : Sun
Hardiness : Hardy
Attributes : Excellent cut flowers
Height (m) : 1
Spread (m) : .30
Notes: The summer-flowering watsonia makes a good addition to the garden, forming thick, leafy clumps of the typical sword-shaped leaves. It sends up tall spikes of apricot-orange flowers in late summer. There are hybrids with flowers in salmon, orange, red and yellow. Evergreen and deciduous varieties available. The flower spikes add height to a mixed border, where the clumps can be dotted around for eye-catching accents of colour. Watsonias are splendid in an indigenous garden, and can be used for filling open spaces between shrubs.
Indigenous to the southern Cape, especially the George-Knysna district, this plant can be grown in most parts of the country, but it is not well suited to very dry areas.
Plant the corms in early autumn in fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny or semi-shaded position. Keep the plants well watered throughout the year, especially during periods of dry weather in summer.
Watsonia spp.
