Chasmanthe floribunda

Chasmanthe floribunda is a plant of South African origin that strongly resembles a crocosmia in its overall appearance. Like the latter, it grows into a beautiful dense and upright clump from which emerge robust floral stems adorned with orange flowers. However, its flowers are thinner and they appear in spring. Chasmanthe floribunda can be easily grown in open ground in Mediterranean-type climates, in flower beds with other plants that flower at different times. Elsewhere, it should be grown in beautiful pots that can be protected from frost in winter. Alternatively, corms can be planted in spring and dug up before the first frosts. The plant will then bloom in summer.

Chasmanthe floribunda, also known as African Flag, belongs to the Iridaceae family. This botanical species is native to the Cape region in South Africa. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with an underground storage organ called a corm. This corm perishes below -5°C (23°F) and the foliage is destroyed as soon as it freezes. In nature, its growth emerges from the ground in late autumn, in the form of a bright green clump of stiff and upright linear leaves. Flowering takes place in March-April for 3 to 4 weeks, and then the foliage dries up in late spring or early summer. The plant then enters dormancy in dry soil to escape the heat and drought of summer. When flowering, Chasmanthe floribunda will reach approximately 1m (3ft) in height and 40cm (16in) in width, with leaves measuring 30 to 45cm (12 to 18in) in length. The flattened dark red flower spikes bear numerous finely tubular flowers, 8cm (3in) long. They are orange tinged with red, arranged in zigzags in two rows. On each flower, the upper petal releases long stamens with purple anthers. After pollination by insects, capsules containing seeds form and can spontaneously reseed under favourable conditions.

Chasmanthes make a great substitution for crocosmias in frost-free warm gardens where they require little maintenance. Elsewhere, they can be used to create beautiful potted displays from spring onwards. Easy to grow in containers, vigorous but demanding, they can be planted in semi-shade or full sun, in groups of 10 corms, in light, fertile soil that remains moist throughout their growth period. Their warm-toned flowers create splendid combinations with annuals (love-in-a-mist and poppies) and fit well in exotic settings, with agapanthus taking over in summer. They always make successful combinations with garden irises, grasses, and grey foliage.