Crimson Flag

No, I am not talking about a comic here (first hit when you google "crimson flag") but about a flower that I recently found in a nursery in Tomales which mainly concentrates on Mostly Natives. Jo and I went there for their October sales, looking for beautiful plants that would further improve the look of our gardens.

I was sold when I lay my eyes on these beauties! Its botanical name is Hesperantha coccinea, it belongs to the Iridaceae family and is a native to South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is also known by the names River Lily or Cape Lily.

The color is striking - a bright red that you can see from far away. I needed a color spot like that in my garden, and I thought that it would be a wonderful contrast to the many shades of purple and lavender that seem to dominate in my personal slice of paradise.  It's also perfect along some yellow and white flowering plants - in brief, it's the perfect match for my front garden, and many people will see it there which is the idea behind it. I love it when people find pleasure in my flowers.

I hope I will get it through its first winter. I know practically nothing about this flower, and a google research didn't enlighten me very much. So this is an experiment - I will let you know about the result next spring or summer. It's a late blooming flower which again is perfect for my garden. I got three of them just to better the odds of survival.

In the late afternoon when the sun is low over the horizon, it back lits the flowers - and the result is stunning. The flowers seem to glow against the background, they are completely lit up. Such a striking view! These photos don't do it justice but give you an idea.