How to Care for Spring Flowering Sparaxis

Step into spring with Sparaxis. These blooming bulbs belong to the Iridaceae family and with looks to kill, it's no wonder why they are growing in popularity. Also known as the harlequin flower, Sparaxis sounds as fancy as she looks. These spring-blooming perennial bulbs, indigenous to South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region, are like nature's confetti, popping up in shades of pink, salmon, red, orange, and white from September to October. The name “Sparaxis” comes from the Greek word "sparasso," which means "to tear"—a nod to the ragged bracts that surround these elegant blooms. They are star-shaped, with open faced blooms and inner markings of a contrasting colour which only adds to their striking appeal. Their leaves aren’t too shabby either, offering long and spear-shaped foliage that’s as pretty as a picture. With only 16 species in the genus, Sparaxis keeps things exclusive. So, without further ado here is our gardening guide on How to Care for Spring Flowering Sparaxis.

Feed after flowering

When it comes to feeding, give your flowers the best they can get with Hadeco Bulb Food which will give your underground treasures all the nutrients they need to perform their best. The optimal time to fertilise would be immediately after planting, then at monthly intervals during the growing season – and most importantly, after they have finished flowering (before they take their well-deserved rest). The solution has been specially formulated, and promotes the development of strong roots for vigorous foliage, as well as nutrients to ensure abundant flowers. Whether this beauty has bloomed in your garden, or you would like her to, this guide will inspire an abundance of harlequin flowers in your garden year after year.

Sparaxis : Fit for the Vase

This spring, you can dress up vases with the splendid stems of Sparaxis. If you have grown other delightful spring flowers, arrange them together in a vase and sweeten your spring days with their glorious beauty. A combination that we have tried and tested is Sparaxis and freesia, and they happen to look fantastic together. Let your creative juices flow and bring the outdoors in with fabulous cut flowers.

Top tip : Make sure you use Chrysal flower food, to prolong the lifespan of your blooms and to keep the vase water clean.

General care 

As with most bulbs, watering to root level is vital to successful development and flowering. Sparaxis hail from winter rainfall regions, therefore in your garden they require moderated watering, particularly during their active growth phase. So endeavour to water them deeply, three to four times a week after planting, and continue once they are shooting and flowering in spring. Remember, the roots must be continually moist. After flowering, you can allow the soil to dry completely. The most common issue you're likely to encounter is giving them too much water in summer. The corms are prone to fungal rot if they aren’t kept dry, so refraining from watering in summer is essential.

Although frost-tender, these plants are fairly hardy and are seldom attacked by any pests or diseases. You should, however, keep a vigilant eye open for slugs and snails which relish snacking on the foliage - and if you’re in an area where porcupines are known to roam around, they will happily dine on the corms too! If this is a problem for you, why not plant in protective containers? Alternatively, you can strategically plant them in a fenced off area, or use other delicacies such as vegetable scraps to distract them from your beloved bulbs.

Do Sparaxis bulbs multiply?

Sparaxis bulbs more correctly referred to as ‘corms’ multiply with offsets called cormlets. When the end of the growing season draws near they form baby bulbs around their base, and when the bulbs are lifted, these bulblets may be removed and planted separately the following autumn. You can store these bulblets with the mother bulbs in a brown paper bag with ventilation holes, in a cool and dry cupboard. If you do choose to leave them in the ground, you can do so in well-draining soil. These local lovelies can also be propagated by seed, but because they are so cost-efficient, they are often discarded after blooming to free up space for summer flowering bulbs.

Interestingly, Sparaxis produces yellow or white pollen but not S. elegans. This particular species produces dark purple to brown pollen. Goldblatt and Manning (2013) propose that this might be a sneaky way for the plant to camouflage pollen, keeping it hidden from pollen-collecting insects. Call it rebellion or simply fierce independence, but this little number doesn’t always wait for a pollinator to lend a hand. When cross-pollination conditions aren't cutting it, S. elegans just gets on with it, doing a bit of self-pollination and still managing to produce seeds.

Where to plant harlequin flowers?

Found in the wild in sandy or rocky slopes or wet, sandy or limestone flats in lower altitudes, they grow happily all over South Africa. Excellent container specimens, they are equally happy in garden beds or rocky garden pockets that don’t hold too much water in summer rainfall, and make great, long-lasting cut flowers. Seriously, Sparaxis is oh so easy to grow, that you will want them popping up in your garden with cheer, every year! When preparing your soil, loosen it to a depth of about 20cm and add in some compost and if necessary, sand to promote drainage. The plants prefer full sun and well-drained loamy soils, although they do well in a range of different soil types. When growing plants in containers, use a light sandy soil/potting mix. These spring flowering corms are planted out in late autumn or early winter, once the ground temperatures have dropped. They should be planted at a depth of about 5cm and 7–10cm apart.

How tall does Sparaxis grow?

For the best display, plant them in bold groups of 25 or more, in order to experience the full effect of the radiant colours they bloom in. Don’t plant them too close to the front of beds or borders, as they do get up to about 30cm in height.

When to plant harlequin flowers? 

When planting in areas that experience very cold winters, bear in mind that the plants are sensitive to frost and should not be grown in pots when temperatures drop below 0°C for extended periods, and may need some protection against frosts if in garden beds. To give them as much warmth as possible on the Highveld,and plant against a north-facing wall. Wherever you are in South Africa, you should mulch after planting.

So there you have it, a guide on How to Care for Spring Flowering Sparaxis, and a giggle here and there to make gardening the joyful pastime it is meant to be.

Wishing you a colourful springtime and an abundance of blossoms to make you smile!
Happy blooming!