Dierama trichorhizum

Dierama trichorhizum is part of a genus of perennials poetically called Angel's Fishing Rods. They are South African plants resembling grasses that offer a delightful summer flowering with pendant bell-shaped flowers hanging from long, flexible, and arching stems. This dierama is probably the most compact of all. It is hardier than its cousins. Its flowering, while not spectacular, lasts for two months in summer. Hanging from long arching stems, lavender-pink flowers with hints of mauve sway above a tuft of delicate, evergreen foliage. In the garden or in pots, dieramas are appreciated for their infinitely graceful flowering. It will work wonders in an alpine rockery.

Dierama trichorhizum (synonym Ixia trichorhiza) is an evergreen cormous plant belonging to the Iridaceae family. It is native to sunny and humid meadows in Lesotho and Swaziland in South Africa. It can be found, for example, in the Drakensberg mountains, which experience rainy summers and dry winters. It resembles a grass, with an upright clump of long grey-green leaves, reaching 15cm (6in) in height and, after many years, 35cm (14in) in diameter at the base. From June to August, long slender and sturdy stems up to 50cm (20in) long emerge from the foliage. They bear branched spikes at their ends. Each branch carries 1 to 3 campanulate flowers, with lanceolate petals in shades of lavender-pink with hints of mauve, which fade beautifully to an almost bluish hue, enclosed in a coppery calyx. The nectar-rich flowering attracts many pollinating insects. The fertilised flowers give way to small ovoid capsules containing numerous small, fairly hard brown seeds that will germinate after the winter cold. Plants grown from seeds will flower after 5 to 7 years of cultivation.

Invite this little wonder into your garden and protect it from excessive humidity in winter by covering its base with a thick mulch. It deserves a prime spot, whether in a pot on a patio, in a cool but sunny rockery, or near a water feature. Dierama trichorhizum is hardy down to -12°C (10.4°F) in dry soil during winter. It is very well adapted to coastal areas, and withstands the wind carrying salty spray. This little perennial looks superb alongside grasses (such as small Miscanthus, Eragrostis, Carex dipsacea) along a pathway, especially when the light shines through its flower-filled foliage. Near a pond, it can be paired, for example, with ribbons of bergenia, Gomphostigma virgatum 'Silver Butterfly', or small border daylilies in shades of pink or white.