Strumaria

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A small genus of bulbs related to Hessea and more distantly, to Nerine. They are found in the winter-rainfall areas of Southern Africa.

Strumaria are valuable for their late autumn flowering. The foliage appears shortly after flowering and there are usually just two, quite broad, short, flat leaves. These are very tidy and neat.

The flowers are borne in a small spike, with each individual blossom being held on a short, usually hanging, pedicel. Their small size and tidy nature, coupled with the elfin appearance of the flowers makes them ideal for pot cultivation.

They should be grown in smallish pots so that the bulbs can be confined, or even crowded, for the best flowering results. Try not to disturb them too often, as transplanting sets back flower production. A very sandy, well-drained compost is essential, dry in the summer.

All are for cultivation under frost-free glass in the UK. In most of the USA they will need protection and even in areas with a Mediterranean climate they will need keeping totally dry in summer.

Order from this list.

Strumaria karooica

This is one of the earliest of the species, in cultivation at least, and it begins its flowering early in the autumn as temperatures fall and water is given. The spikes make a loose hemisphere of lacy, white flowers each with the petal edges folded and undulating. Later a pair of leaves are produced, sitting flat on the soil surface. In this form, the leaves are very dark green and have sparse, long, silky white hairs on them.

This species is from the Little Karoo where it is found at high altitudes on the Roggersveld plateau. This is the home of Daubenya coccinea and is also a place where winter night temperatures can fall to -10°C with freezing rain and snow not uncommon.

Although in the wild it grows in flat sites on clay soils, in cultivation it appreciates a well-drained sandy or gravelly compost with excellent drainage, good light and only occasional watering (with weak fertiliser added each time).


Strumaria karooicastrkarkar	£23.50

Strumaria prolifera

This is one of the most beautiful of all the Strumaria species. The pink funnel shaped flowers appear in umbels towards the end of the autumn but before the leaves are produced. After flowering the strap-like leaves are made and are a very pretty lime-green about 15 cm long by just 1cm wide, they are very thin-textured, almost like rice paper.

This is a rare plant with a very small range - it is only known from south-facing cliff ledges of the Kourkammaberg in Namaqualand. There the plants apparently grow either in vertical rock cracks or on broader ledges where they are said to form clumps. The plants are in shade for most of the day but of course this is in a very hot, dry environment. In cultivation they are not difficult if due care and attention is given to their need for very sharp drainage with an appropriate warm, dry rest in summer.


Strumaria proliferastrpropro	£23.50
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