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Iridaceae
Fortnight Lily
Dietes iridioides
Steady rhythm, African grace, persistence.
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Genus
- Dietes
- Native to
- Eastern and Southern Africa
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 60–90 cm (2–3 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 8–11
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- The fortnight lily blooms every two weeks, almost exactly like clockwork—producing a fresh batch of white iris-like flowers on the same stems every 14 days from spring through fall.
- Unlike true irises, dietes flowers last only a single day—but each flower stem keeps producing new blooms in succession for years, recycling the same stem indefinitely.
- Also called the 'African iris' or 'wild iris,' it's one of the most drought-tolerant and tough perennials in cultivation—surviving on rainfall alone in Mediterranean climates.
- Each white petal has a yellow signal patch with three blue 'eyebrows' to guide bees—a botanical landing strip painted in three colors at once.
- The roots can survive for years through total drought—a fortnight lily can be dug up, left dry for six months, and replanted to bloom again within weeks.
Color meanings
0
steady rhythm
1
African grace
2
persistence