About
A small, tufted, perennial violet from southern South America with short stems bearing small, rounded, mid-green leaves and solitary, pale violet or white flowers with dark purple veins in spring. A little-known South American endemic for a cool alpine house or trough.
About the genus
Sparaxis are cormous perennials forming a fan-shaped tuft of linear or narrowly lance-shaped leaves, with funnel-shaped flowers borne in loose spikes
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeLoam
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH2
Plant details
Plant typeBulbs, Conservatory Greenhouse
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0-0.1 metre
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesPatio and container plants, Mediterranean climate plants
Native toSouth Africa (Cape)
Care notes
CultivationGrow under glass in good light but shaded from hot sun. In autumn, plant corms 20cm deep in peat-free, loam-based potting compost with added sand and leaf mould. Water sparingly when in growth and keep cool; dry off as flowers fade and keep completely dry when dormant
PruningRemove spent flower stems and allow foliage to die down naturally
PropagationPropagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe or remove offsets when dormant
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free