Description
A very attractive species, valuable for its autumn-flowering habit, with the blooms borne in clusters on the bare, over-summering growths of the previous season. The leaves die away in May leaving small, dormant, upstanding stems. It is essential that these growths, (also made in April and May), are not cleaned-off or tidied up during repotting or “care” as they will bear the flowers in September.
This is the dwarf Cretan form of the typical species, making stems which are only 10-15cm tall, in which the flowers are white, but densely spotted all over the petal surfaces with blood red. This flowers on pre-formed buds in September (see above).
An excellent and choice autumn-flowering plant for a sunny spot, well-drained rockery or sink, where it will survive most years though it does very well in a pan under alpine glass.
