5 Dietes butcheriana Seeds - Wide-leafed Dietes - Indigenous South African Hardy Perennial Bulb

Dietes butcheriana Seeds

Wide-leafed Dietes

Dietes is a small perennial rhizomatous genus in the Iridaceae family with about 6 accepted species. Common names include Wood Iris, Fortnight Lily, African Iris, Japanese Iris and Butterfly Iris, each of which may be used differently in different regions for one or more of the species within the genus. Most of the species are from tropical and South Africa, but there is one, Dietes robinsoniana, that originates on Lord Howe Island off the coast of Australia. These evergreen plants have long, sword-shaped leaves and white or yellow flowers with three large outer segments. The flowers are similar to Moraea and Iris. South African indigenous species are drought tolerant but will produce luxuriant plants with good watering. Because of this property they are often used in city landscaping. The genus name comes from the Greek words di, meaning two, and etes, which means an associate. It literally means having two relatives and refers to the relationship between this genus and Moraea and Iris. Dietes butcheriana or Wide-leafed Dietes is a strap leafed plant that grows 60cm tall with broad shiny dark green leaves. The inflorescence is irregularly branched with white flowers that are slightly smaller than the fortnight lily, Dietes vegeta, and a touch of yellow (nectar guides on outer tepals), orange (on the claws) and white on the style branches. It is naturally found growing in the deep shade of the mist-belt forest areas of Natal. This Dietes is well suited to shady areas of the garden. It flowers in spring and summer and has proven to be cold hardy to at least minus 2 degrees Celsius.