Ixia in Winter


Ixia in Winter

Winter is slowly drawing to a close but the first flowers of the wonderful Ixia have been flowering profusely, brightening up the days and each day bringing forth new flowers. We are inspired by the fact that many more will flower through spring and summer. The last of those flowering will be Ixia viridflora and some of the lovely hybrids that bring color to our world before the rest period.

A few of these lovely Ixia flowering at present are:

Ixia capillaris

Ixia marginiflora

Ixia rapunculoides and:

An Ixia hybrid that has not yet been identified (pictured above)

These are the official publications available on Ixia:
• Ixia L.
1. Lewis. 1962. JI S.Afr.Bot.28: 45-195
2. Golblatt. 1971.JI S.Afr.Bot. 37: 229 - 236
3. Goldblatt. 1979. JI S.Afr.Bot 45,1: 81-89
4. Goldblatt & Snijman. 1985. S.Afr.1985 S.Afr. J.Bot. 51:66-70
5. De Vos. 1988. S.Afr. J.Bot 54: 596-602
6. De Vos 1999 Flora of SA vol 7 Iridaceae part 2 : Ixoideae


My Ixia page, which includes many of the species is available for readers to browse at: http://www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/


Ixia capillaris : http://www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/images/... is a beautiful species, which grows easily in the winter months, not affected by our frost and enjoys the cold days and colder nights.

It does not mind being wet and bulbs multiply well each year if left in pots outside. I do not grow this species in the garden and it needs little room to grow. I do dry mine out completely in the dormant period.

Here is the official description and details of where and how it grows in its native habitat:

capillaris L. f.
Plants grow on flats, hills and mountain slopes in sandy or clay soils
Flowers : white, pale blue or mauve, sometimes pale green at the throat
Leaves : three, erect, the lower two linear or linear-filiform with the margins of the ribs more or less raised, 6-18 cm. long, 0.5 - 2 cm wide, often spirally twisted, seldom reaching above middle of stem, upper leaf larger.

Flowering time : July to September

Distribution : Clanwilliam, Piketberg, Ceres, Worcester, Malmsbury, Bellville, Paarl, Stellonbosch, Somerset West, Montagu, Riversdale, Ladismith, Laingsburgh

Ixia rapunculoides http://www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/images/... is another variable species which grows well here, in the same conditions as the other species mentioned. I have some different variable shades from the seeds I obtained from growers in South Africa. The hybrid species I will describe to you is thought to be related to rapunculiodes.

The copyright of the article Ixia in Winter in Bulbs & Plants is owned by Bill Richardson. Permission to republish Ixia in Winter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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