General Culture: Click for monthly care information.
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 7-9 where it prefers an organically rich, well-drained soil in full sun. In St. Louis, plants should be grown in containers and overwintered indoors. Keep container soils uniformly moist during the growing season. Reduce watering as the foliage begins to die back and bring container indoors before first fall frost for storage in a cool and dry location.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Native to Africa, wand flower is a cormous perennial that is noted for producing a clump of grass-like leaves (to 2’ tall) and arching wiry flower stems (to 3’ tall) topped by spikes of pendulous bell-shaped flowers. Flowers are purplish-pink and bloom in summer. Corms (to 1” diameter). Although not winter hardy in St. Louis, this plant may be grown in containers as an annual. Genus name comes from the Greek work for funnel, in obvious reference to the flower shape. Also commonly known as grassy bells.
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses:
Containers. In areas where winter hardy, grow in beds, borders or cottage gardens. Good along at the edge of ponds and water gardens.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2009
(0 ratings) --- 