How to Grow and Care for Forest Lilies Veltheimia bracteata
The forest lily, Veltheimia bracteata, aka Cape lily, is an ornamental bulb flower in the Asparagaceae family.
It is native to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, a scrub plant rambling along wooded shorelines.
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Suited to garden cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, the forest lily prefers light shade and sports pointed clusters of tubular pink blossoms perched atop striking bare stems from late winter to spring.
This article discusses all you need to know to grow the forest lily in your outdoor living space.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s begin with some background.
Cultivation and HistoryV. bracteata grows from a bulb enclosed in a papery tunic.
The plant has a clumping growth habit with foliage that is semi-deciduous; it’s nearly evergreen in the warmest regions, and the leaves wither and die in cooler areas.
Basal rosettes of strap-like, ruffled, glossy leaves are pale to dark green.
Fleshy, bare, green or purple flower stems rise from the rosettes and bear terminal clusters of blooms that open from bottom to top and last approximately four weeks.
In addition to shades of pink ranging from dark to light, the flowers may also be yellowish-green. The erect buds open to reveal drooping or pendant blossoms.
Mature dimensions are 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide.
Plants tolerate light frost, provided they are not exposed to morning sun after a moist, cold night. From late summer to fall they undergo a short period of dormancy.
After reclassification, the Veltheimia genus currently contains only two species: V. bracteata and
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