Common Name: Tiger flowerGenus: Tigridia
Species: pavonia
Skill Level: Experienced
Exposure: Full sun
Hardiness: Tender
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Moist
Height: 100cm
Spread: 15cm
Time to divide plants: Autumn
Flowering period: Summer
This exotic Mexican bulb is sometimes called peacock flower, an appropriate name in view of its quite startling colour combinations- all the shades of scarlet, orange, pink, yellow, mauve and white, usually with contrasting markings. It is barely hardy, and normally grown as a tender summer annual, planted in spring and dug up again in autumn for storing in a dry frost-free place. It needs all the sun available, as this not only encourages flowering but also ripens the bulb to ensure a similar display the following year.
This is the photo of mine taken this morning on my little Canon Ixus - growing in a small pot and terribly neglected - until it flowers! What a beauty.
Tigridia (
/taɪˈɡrɪdiə/),[1] the tiger-flowers or shell flowers, is a genus of bulbous or cormous plants, belonging to the family Iridaceae. They have large showy flowers and one species, Tigridia pavonia, is often cultivated for this. The approximately thirty five species in this family grow in the Western Hemisphere, from Mexico to Chile. The tigridia flower is short lived, each often blooming for only one day, but often several flowers will bloom from the same stalk. Usually they are dormant during the winter dry-season. Its roots are edible and was eaten by the Aztecs of Mexico who called it cacomitl and its flower ocēlōxōchitl "Jaguar flower". The genus name means "tiger-like" and alludes to the coloration and spotting of the flowers of the type species Tigridia pavonia.[2]
This is the photo of mine taken this morning on my little Canon Ixus - growing in a small pot and terribly neglected - until it flowers! What a beauty.
Tigridia (
/taɪˈɡrɪdiə/),[1] the tiger-flowers or shell flowers, is a genus of bulbous or cormous plants, belonging to the family Iridaceae. They have large showy flowers and one species, Tigridia pavonia, is often cultivated for this. The approximately thirty five species in this family grow in the Western Hemisphere, from Mexico to Chile. The tigridia flower is short lived, each often blooming for only one day, but often several flowers will bloom from the same stalk. Usually they are dormant during the winter dry-season. Its roots are edible and was eaten by the Aztecs of Mexico who called it cacomitl and its flower ocēlōxōchitl "Jaguar flower". The genus name means "tiger-like" and alludes to the coloration and spotting of the flowers of the type species Tigridia pavonia.[2]
I tried to grow one of these once, from a seed and failed dismally. It appears I should have neglected her more - spectacular effort Aunt T. By the way, did you make like an Aztec and snack on the root...a bit of nasturtium on the side might be the go. Ohh la la!
ReplyDelete