Wachendorfia

taxobox
name = "Wachendorfia thyrsiflora"

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regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Monocots
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Commelinales
familia = Haemodoraceae
genus = "Wachendorfia"|

"Wachendorfia", known as Red Root, is a genus of 25 species of cormous perennials from South Africa, only a few of which are cultivated outside their own country. "Wachendorfias" have basal tufts of long, narrow, pleated leaves and bear erect spikes of starry, yellow flowers in spring and summer.

Their common name stems from the red sap of the corms, used as a dye, and the bright red-orange colour of the roots themselves. Red colour is a feature of many plants in the family Haemodoraceae (Haemo = Blood). ["Gardeners Guide to Plants & Flowers", Readers' Digest, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1997]

Cultivation

Slightly frost hardy, "Wachendorfias" trive outdoors in warm, near frost-free environments. They require moist, well drained soils in a sunny position, ideal for bog gardens.

Propagation is via seed or "division". [Flora, The Gardeners Bible, ABC Publishing, Ultimo, NSW, Australia, 2005]

References