Sparaxis: Species, Planting and Care

Sparaxis, or harlequin flower, is a vivid corm-forming plant from South Africa whose flowers look like small multicoloured stars with a contrasting centre. It is grown in beds, rockeries, containers and for cutting. Here are the main sparaxis species and how to grow them in the Ukrainian climate.

Flowers delivered across Kyiv: potted plants and flower baskets.

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About the plant

Sparaxis belongs to the iris family. The genus has about 15 species, all native to the Cape region of South Africa, so the plant loves warmth and cannot tolerate frost. It usually grows 15–60 cm tall depending on the species. Narrow, sword-shaped leaves form a fan, and each stem carries 3–6 star-shaped flowers in white, yellow, orange, pink, red or purple, often with a dark ring and yellow centre.

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Sparaxis species

• Sparaxis tricolor — the most popular, 30–45 cm tall, with bright flowers ringed in dark colour around a yellow eye; usually sold as a colour mix.
• Sparaxis grandiflora — with larger flowers in white, yellow and purple shades.
• Sparaxis bulbifera — with creamy white flowers; it forms small bulbils in the leaf axils.

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Planting sparaxis

Position. Sunny and sheltered from wind. In shade the plants stretch and flower poorly.

Soil. Light and well-drained, sandy or loamy. Sparaxis cannot stand waterlogging — the corms rot.

Timing. In most of Ukraine, plant sparaxis in spring — late April or May, once frosts are over — 5–8 cm deep and 10–15 cm apart. Flowering begins in July. For earlier blooms, start the corms in pots in March–April. Autumn planting under mulch is only possible where winters are mild.

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Care

• Water regularly during growth and flowering, especially in dry spells, but avoid waterlogging.
• Feed with a bulb fertiliser when buds appear.
• Remove faded flowers to prolong blooming.
• Sparaxis lasts well as a cut flower — cut the stem when the first flower opens.

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Lifting and storage

After flowering, when the leaves turn yellow (usually in September), lift the corms, brush off the soil without washing them and dry them for a few weeks at 20–25 °C somewhere airy. Store them until spring in a dry, cool place at 5–9 °C, packed in sawdust or peat or in paper bags.

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FAQ

Can sparaxis be left in the ground over winter?

Not in most of Ukraine: the plant can't survive frost, so the corms are lifted in autumn.

Can sparaxis be grown in a pot?

Yes, in a wide pot with drainage on a sunny balcony — 5–7 corms per container.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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