Description
(syn. Leopoldia mirum)
The name mirum means wonderful and this is most distinct in every respect.
It has just one broad, glaucous, blue leaf 3 cm wide below a spike of tubular flowers of dusky-gold each with a purple mouth. The upper part of the spike is purple with each flower on a hanging (not upright) pedicel.
The effect is subtle and attractive in subdued gold and dusky purple. Very desirable, but it dislikes too much water. It is perfectly growable, it just needs good drainage. We have found though, that this seems to be getting easier to grow, as it is brought through more seed generations, in cultivation. Our current bulbs have been in the ground, unlifted, since 2012 without loss through one very severe and one very mild, winter.
A neat and most attractive plant described only in 1989 and of very limited occurrence in Mugla province of Turkey at 1600 m where it grows on serpentine.
Photograph © Martin Philippo, with permission.
