Hesperantha coccinea 'Mrs Hegarty'
Hesperantha coccinea 'Mrs. Hegarty' has clumps of erect stems with grassy leaves and showy blooms that resemble lilies and appear in late summer through winter. They are flowering when little else is going on in the surrounding landscape, providing much needed late season color. The flowers are radially symmetrical and divide at the mouth of the flower tube into three branches that spread over the Sepals. These plants need full sun to partial shade and well-drained but moisture-retentive soil. They do not tolerate dry soil. Plant at a depth of 2 inches and add a layer of organic mulch each summer. It is classified as Tender III and will suffer below 25 degrees Fahrenheit, so it may do best in a sheltered location. You can propagate these plants through seed or division in the fall. Rhizomes are challenging to store over winter, so if you do store them, place rhizomes in moist peat at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. These flowers make an excellent cut flower with a long vase life. You can mass plant them along a walkway or patio to enjoy their late season blooms. They also work well planted in containers or any other small space.
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Family | Iridaceae |
| Origin | Cameroon, Ethiopia to South Africa |
| Form | Horizontal oval |
| Flower | Six petaled star shaped flowers in various colors held in clusters above the leaves. |
| Size | 0.4 - 0.7m x 0.1 - 0.3m (height x width) |
| Hardiness Zone | 7 |
| Exposure | Full sun to part sun/part shade |
| Flower Colour | Pink, red and white |
| Leaf Colour | Green |
| Bloom Time | August to October |
| Soil and Watering | Humus rich, well-drained |
| Fruit | Capsule, brown (October to November) |
Written by: Diane Buirs, Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association
