South Africa

When you work with plants as long as we have the verdure begins to have a Stockholm-Syndrome-like effect on your brain and you soon begin to demand that even your flowers be green and "viridiflora" sounds like music to your ears. For those in similarly dire straits these South African bulbs and their tall spires of flowers are the cure you're looking for.

Yet another venerable member of the legion of incredible South African bulbs. This one likes it arid and with as little frost as can be managed, but it isn't uncommon to see them in pot culture among xeric specialists, just bring them indoors when they are in their winter dormancy. Incredibly uniquely textured leaves ridged and bumpy like an exotic lizard in muted tones of purple-brown. The flowers provide quite the contrast to the dour prehistoric foliage, happy little candelabras of candy-floss pink!

Little bulbous plant from the Drakensberg Mts in South Africa. This is a good rock garden subject in that it likes good drainage in the winter. When growing, keep it watered reasonably and it will bloom its tail off with loads of small reddish flowers. Mulch if bitter cold in winter. This is one of smallest species in the genus and the word "statuesque" will likely never be used in conjunction with Rhodohypoxis. This was simply descriptive and not in the least pejorative. Those little bulbs can be so sensitive about their size.

Fantastic little plant from South Africa which used to be Aster natalensis but is now in the genus Felicia. We got this from a Scottish alpine nursery in Scotland and know of a rock gardener in northern Norway who raves about it. Tight clumps with blue flowers with a yellow button in June-July. Very hardy. First introduced to the US by Far Reaches Farm.