Watsonia
Bugle lily, Bugle iris
- Height × spread
- 1.2m – 1.7m × 0.3m – 0.34m
- Position
- Full sun
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
These are half hardy, showy plants that have lively-looking flowers that arch out from upright stalks. The individual flowers form long slender tubes with flared lips. They generally seem to be red but they are also seen in white, pink and orange. They look somewhat like the familiar Crocosmia. They are not frost hardy and either need winter protection, or should be lifted and brought into a frost free area. They range in height from hearty Watsonia borbonica that stands 1.5 metres high, and the even larger Watsonia marginata, to smaller forms such as Watsonia humilis that is only 30cm in height. Different species flower at different times of the year, so a selection of different forms could provide flowers from early spring to the autumn.
- Flower colour
- Orange, Pink, Purple, Red
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Column
- Height
- 1.2m – 1.7m
- Spread
- 0.3m – 0.34m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Gravel garden, Exotic garden, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade, tolerates light shade
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, most are not hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Bee attraction
- Hazards
- No
AutumnNow
Autumn · Planting
Lift before winter
Lift bulbs. tubers or rhizomes in autumn, to keep for the following year. Keep dry and in a frost-free location for the winter. Re-plant in spring.
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water during dry periods
For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.
Winter
Winter · Outdoors
Water lightly during dormancy
The soil should be kept just moist during the plant's rest period.