Ixia Giant - Corn lily

Ixia 'Giant', also known as corn lily, forms a cluster of erect and floriferous stems, with a particularly contrasting colour, off-white stars with a purple heart. Its long and graceful stems are hidden under its star-shaped flowers in June-July. It is a perennial, semi-hardy plant with a corm which naturalises easily in mild climates, in the sun and light soil. It looks stunning in a pot or planted in a border. Its strong and abundantly filled stems produce beautiful cut flowers.

Ixias are deciduous perennials with corms, native to South Africa. They are close relatives of Garden Iris, belonging to the large family of Iridaceae. Ixia Giant forms a clump of 6 leaves in spring, usually bright green, long and thin, alternate and sword-shaped. Its growth is fast. The deciduous foliage disappears in late summer. The thin and rigid, 50 cm (20in) tall flowering stems emerge between two fan-shaped leaves in June. Flowering takes place from late June to late August, in the form of spikes with a minimum of 15 cup-shaped flowers, 5 cm (2in) in diameter, with a tubular corolla formed by 6 fused tepals. The petals are a bright off-white, enhanced with a purple heart and golden stamens. The brown and fibrous corm (2.5 cm (1in) in diameter) of this plant is semi-hardy, it withstands moderately cold temperatures (between -5°C (23°F) and -10°C (14°F)). It forms bulblets at the end of the season.

The flowers of the Giant Ixia only open when there is sunshine. They can be planted in sunny borders or meadow-like flower beds, except in southern regions where the sun would scorch them, in light and well-drained soil. They prefer an open, sunny and sheltered spot. They like well-drained, rocky or sandy soils, moist in spring and autumn and dry in summer. You can plant them directly in pure sand where their hardiness will be even better. Ixias go well with late-flowering spring bulbs, such as giant alliums, arums, foxtail lilies, and white lilies. In rock gardens, they bring a delicate and shiny note along with catmints, stipas, and fountain grasses. They are perfect plants for containers and pots, allowing you to enjoy their magnificent flowering up close while protecting them from harsh winter frosts when they are stored away. Finally, they are excellent flowers for cutting.