Dietes grandiflora Seeds

Dietes grandiflora Seeds

Common Names: Large Wild Iris, Fairy Iris (E), Groot Wilde-Iris (Afr), Isiqungasehlati (Z)Family : Iridaceae (Iris Family)

This well known indigenous large wild iris is commonly grown in gardens and used in large landscapes throughout the country. It is a perennial, evergreen plant which grows up to 1.5m in large clumps. It grows naturally along the eastern coastal areas of the southern Cape, Eastern Cape and southern Kwazulu-Natal where it may be found in full sun or partial shade at forest margins, or in the shelter of taller shrubs on exposed slopes facing the sea.

The name Dietes means "having two relatives" and refers to the relationship between this genus and Moraea and Iris. Grandiflora means "large flower".

Dietes grandiflora plants grow from underground rhizomes. The long, rigid, sword-shaped leaves are held in a fan shape. The leaves are dark green and may reach up to 1m long and 15-20mm wide.

The attractive flowers are large (about 100mm across) and are white with yellow nectar guides and outer tepals and violet central segments. The flowers are held on erect, slender stems which are about 1m in length.

The flowers are borne in mass at certain periods - often after rain in summer. The individual flowers do not last more than a couple of days (so are of no use in a vase) however, the plant bears so many flowers during the peak period that the plant looks most striking. The flowers attract lots of bees and other pollinators.

This plant is occasionally called the "Fairy Iris" because the fragile white petals not only look like fairy wings, but also have a tendency to disappear mysteriously overnight!