Ixia Mixed

Ixias are big on colour. Their bright petals come in vibrant, candy shades of white, orange, red, purple and yellow and a mix of them all. The blooms have a dark centre, which makes the colours seem even brighter.

Each Ixia flower is around 5-7cm across and they will bloom in succession for an impressive period from late spring to summer. They make excellent cut flowers and can last up to two weeks in a vase.

Try planting Ixia as part of a lawn planting or in grouped pockets through the garden. Like most spring flowering bulbs, Ixia look best when planted in clumps, so if you are putting them in the garden/lawn, put three or five in each hole for the best display. In containers they tend to flop about, which can have a lovely whimsical feel.

Ixias are easy, you can simply plant, relax and enjoy as they come back year and year without any fuss. They have narrow, grass like foliage.

Our Tip: In meadow plantings you will have to allow time for the foliage to die down before you mow. To allow for this you could mow a border and/or a path to make their senescence less unseemly and more a part of the grand scheme.

Ixia originate in the sandy soils of the mountainous grasslands of South Africa. Here, they thrive in sunny, well drained positions of similar climates. Plant the corm 10-15cm with the pointy end up. Water to establish, then only if rainfall is low. Ixia bulbs are best left in the soil to naturalise and you will only need to dig and divide them after around four or five years. We recommend adding a little general purpose fertiliser in poor soils, as they begin to bloom. Apart from that just relax and enjoy the show!

Ixia are in the same family as Iris and just as simple to grow. Known variously as Ixias, African Corn Lilies, or Wand Flowers.