Roscoea Scillifolia F. Atropurpurea

Roscoea scillifolia f. atropurpurea is a striking dark-flowered form of the Yunnan squill-leaved roscoea. Slender shoots carry narrow, stem-clasping leaves and small orchid-like flowers in saturated purple to almost black-purple, producing a dramatic display above a compact plant. The blooms appear in early and midsummer, when cool woodland borders can lack strong colour. Hardy and tuberous, it retreats completely below ground in winter. Seedlings may vary, offering scope to select especially dark flowers for sheltered partial shade and humus-rich, moist but drained soil.