Chasmanthe BB sp2

Chasmanthe brings together three South African species of the Iridaceae family (C. aethiopica, C. bicolor, C. floribunda), all native to the Cape provinces, where they colonise the margins of fynbos, scrub and forest. The precise identity of this accession (BB sp2) could not be established to species level. These cormous plants form clumps of narrow, rigid, sword-shaped leaves in two opposing ranks. Their sturdy, upright spikes bear, in late winter and spring, tubular two-toned flowers in yellow and orange to red, visited in the wild by sunbirds. Cultivation calls for well-drained soil, full sun, and a dry summer dormancy.