VELTHEIMIA BRACTEATA

Description

This winter-flowering perennial plant is in full bloom when other flowers have withered away. Dense racemes of tubular flowers are carried on a long stalk above handsome glossy, green, fleshy leaves. The colour of the flowers can vary from pale pink, dusky pink and orange-pink to deep rose pink, and is occasionally greenish-yellow. The flowers are held upright when in tight bud and are pendent when open and the tips of the flowers are sometimes green or spotted with green. They grow in the wild in areas of South Africa, the Mediterranean, S.W. Asia, and the Eastern Cape. In cultivation they grow in the shade, often without much water, and can prosper in low temperatures.

Sowing Advice

Seeds may be sown at any time of the year onto a well-drained compost and covered very thinly indeed with compost or grit, leaving some of the seed showing as light may aid germination. Keep the pot moist at a temperature of between 18 and 22 degrees C in a well-lit position. Seeds should germinate within 2 to 6 weeks but may take longer. Pot on into small pots before finally planting into a large pot, or outside in warmer countries.

Key Facts