Image: Farallon Gardens
 
(Seed Grown)
Watsonia vanderspuyiae (don’t sweat it — I can’t pronounce it either) is one of those South African bulbs that makes your garden look like a cool-season rockstar without asking much in return. In its native fynbos it grows wedged into some pretty sketchy terrain, enduring cold winter nights, blazing summers, and everything in between — which tells you a lot about how tough this plant really is.
 
For the plant lover who appreciates bold flowers but doesn’t want to hover over them with a watering can, this one fits the bill nicely.
 
Give it decent drainage and a little water through the cool growing season if it’s a dry year. As spring rolls around, it’ll send up impressively tall spikes packed with fiery red tubular flowers that hummingbirds will flock to. Once the heat of summer arrives the foliage dies back and the corms settle in for a well-earned dry rest until the rains and cooler weather return.
 
In other words — plant it, water it in season, and let it do what it’s been doing on South African mountainsides for centuries.
 
Flower Color: Red
Bloomtime: Spring
Height: 2-3 feet (flowers to 5-6')
Width: 2-3 feet.
Exposure: Sun
Soil Type: Good Drainage
Cold Tolerance: Summer Dormant.
Irrigation requirements: Low