Blandfordia

(Blandford'ia)

DESCRIPTION: These plants are from Australia. They can live in cool greenhouses or outdoors where the climate allows. Their rootstocks (rhizomes) are perennial and they grow about 18 inches high. Their leaves are long and slender. The flowers, which are produced in the summer, are narrow and tube-shaped. They come in yellow, orange, or scarlet.

POTTING: The minimum temperature for these plants should be 45 degrees. Repotting should be done in October. The compost should consist of equal parts of peat and loam with coarse sand added. They need well-drained pots and throughout the summer the soil must be kept moist. In August and September, they should be given a short rest, so keep the soil a bit on the dry side. Water should be applied in moderation during the winter

PROPAGATION: The rhizomes can be separated at potting time.

VARIETIES: B. nobilis (orange flowers edged with yellow); B. grandiflora (crimson and yellow flowers); B. flammea (yellow flowers and its variety aurea has golden-yellow flowers).

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