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Iridaceae
Peacock Moraea
Moraea villosa
dazzling deception.
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Genus
- Moraea
- Native to
- South Africa (Western Cape)
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- bulb
- Height
- 1-2 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, well-drained
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 9-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The peacock moraea has iridescent eyespots on its petals — UV-reflecting patterns invisible to humans but striking to pollinating bees navigating by ultraviolet light.
- Despite its orchid-like appearance, it is entirely unrelated to orchids and belongs to the iris family.
- Flowers last only a single day, but each corm produces multiple successive blooms across the spring season.
- The genus Moraea contains about 200 species, nearly all endemic to the Cape Floristic Region — one of Earth's smallest and richest plant biodiversity hotspots.
- Named after Robert More, an 18th-century English botanist and naturalist who corresponded with Linnaeus on European flora.
Color meanings
0
beauty
1
illusion
2
wonder