Tigridia pavonia Alba

The Tigridia pavonia 'Alba', better known as the Peacock Eye, is a bulbous plant with a corm, which offers a long summer flowering, with large triangular ivory-white corollas contrasting with their purple-striped throat. The flowers only last for one day, but they succeed each other for two months. The foliage, composed of large sword-shaped leaves, spreads out like a fan. This less hardy plant is best suited for milder climates when planted in the ground, and for pot cultivation in regions with cold and humid winters. It requires full light and a light, rather moist, but well-drained soil.

The Tigridia pavonia Alba is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. This cormous plant is a relative of the garden iris, both belonging to the Iridaceae family. In spring, it forms a clump of dark green, sword-shaped, veined and pleated leaves, measuring 20 to 50 cm (8 to 20in) long, grouped in a basal fan. Once established, it grows rapidly. The flowering takes place in summer, over several weeks in July-August. Floral stems, sometimes branched, emerge at a height of 60 cm (24in), bearing one to three leaves and 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) diameter flowers that only live for one day, but succeed each other. The fascinating and intriguing flowers are composed of three large ivory-white triangular petals, and three other, tiny, strangely spotted ones, just like the heart, in pink-purple. The corms of this plant are edible. They produce bulblets that bloom in two years.

In very protected borders, where frosts remain mild, it is possible to leave the bulbs in the ground during the resting period in winter. Elsewhere, Tigridia are ideal plants for growing in large pots that will be brought indoors in winter.