Sunday, November 2, 2014

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.




4 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

What an absolute stunner. I hope that it survives - and thrives.

Bonny Bonafilla said...

Glorious plant. Love the colour. I'd be so happy to have it growing in my garden right now. All the best, Bonny

joanna uk said...

Good morning Carola,
I would have fallen for that too.
It surprised me to read that it belongs to the Iris family. I would have thought Ashphodel, but of course it has 2 sets of 3 petals, which would fit in with Iris.
I'd love to see a shot of the part of your garden where you have planted it.
So nice to see new plants.

Magic Love Crow said...

Stunning! WOW!!!