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Iridaceae
Crimson Flag Lily
Hesperantha coccinea
Autumn flame.
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Genus
- Hesperantha
- Native to
- South Africa, Zimbabwe
- Bloom season
- Fall
- Type
- perennial rhizome
- Height
- 1-2.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- moist, fertile, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 6-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- It flowers prolifically in autumn when most perennials have finished — producing its vivid scarlet blooms right up until hard frosts, earning the common name 'crimson flag.'
- The genus was recently renamed from Schizostylis to Hesperantha following molecular studies that found it to be deeply embedded within the Hesperantha genus.
- Native to stream banks and marshy ground in the eastern Drakensberg mountains, it tolerates far wetter conditions than most South African bulbous plants.
- The flowers open in the afternoon and face the setting sun — the genus name Hesperantha means 'evening flower' in Greek.
- The cultivar 'Major' and its pink sport 'Mrs Hegarty' were among the most popular autumn perennials in British gardens throughout the 20th century.
Color meanings
0
brilliance
1
last warmth of the year
2
endurance