New Zealand plant

Can anyone help me with this one?

I`ve seen the flower before but never so big , the plant is about 3/4 feet in high , while the flower can reach 6/7 feet in high.

 

Dierama sp.

Some are dwarfs .. some giants... ALL just gorgeous!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=D...w&biw=1536&bih=742&sei=M0klUbWYMeWa0QXPiICYDw

 

Thank you Silver serfer , good as ever

the only problem I`ve got is that the plant will take 7 year before flowering , will it worth wait ??????
To admit I`ve never seen such of impressive grass .

 

Why wait...life is too short ? You can buy the plants!
They come in various colours from white, pink, red to a very dark purpleish colour.

https://www.westcountrylupins.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Dierama_19.html

http://www.kevockgarden.co.uk/plantlist/janb_dierama_pulcherrimum.htm



Technically it is in Iridaceae... same as Crocosmia... rather than a grass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dierama

Not a New Zealand native.

.

 

what about the seeds I`ve got????

 

Ohh!
A. Buy in plants.... Even these may not flower for 3 years.
B. Sow your seeds .....and be very patient! It would be a shame to waste them.
Those grown from seed may not come true.
Definitely well worth the wait!

I divided ours and replanted them. They sulked for several years but are once again happy.

Avoid buying dry corms as these rarely grow.

 

worth the try , seen may of them growing around , maybe they just escape in the wild , I`ve been told that non native plants in New Zealand tend to modify them self , maybe that explain the giant size .......seen many plants that have changed them form over there ....will make a thread about that one day .

 

It is really not unusual for them to be so tall. See....

Dierama robusta here...

http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Dierama

Dierama reynoldsii.....

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/dieramrey.htm

Dierama pendulum....

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/dieramapend.htm

.

 

You've just answered a question that I've always asked - thanks! Now I know why I've never seen the corms for sale.

 

Easy to germinate from seed but can be temperamental and die suddenly or refuse to flower. Or maybe that's just me.

 

Nope - it's not just you!

 

One of the think I do when I`m on holiday is looking at plant in them perfect enviroment and one of the first thing is to check the soil ......there are way more Ericaceous then we know , anytime I`ve seen the presence of lime stone , there where no plants gowing , while in presence of peat a forest was always present ....
maybe that`s explain even the big size of the plant.

 

That's a useful tip - my soil leans toward acid but a peat mulch might not go amiss. My plant deffo didn't flower last year, maybe not the year before, either. And it's not exactly a great foliage plant no matter how lovely the flowers are!

 

Sal,

Dieramas are actually from South Africa. Some are from high altitude grasslands, so are quite hardy in the UK.
If you have a look around, you should be able to get them at a Garden Centre.

 

I find mine hardy, but it rarely flowers?