Ferraria crispa synonym: F. undulata

Furry, crinkly and crazily spotted - a fun pot plant.

A widespread but mostly coastal, found on sandstone or granite rocks from Namaqualand and the northwest Cape to the southwest Cape, the southern Cape and the Little Karoo. May as well have all the facts! It has sword shaped leaves and a much branched inflorescence with flowers that can be dark brown, maroon, almost black, cream, or pale yellow, with a variety of stripes, blotches, and speckles. Like its name describes it has brownish-green crisped margins. If a scent is isn't nice. 40-100 cm tall. When grown in pots, some selections of F. crispa can multiply rapidly. it can be very difficult to tell which side is up after the corms are separated. When in doubt, plant them sideways. No frost. A winter rains plant. Dry during dormancy in summer. Must have a well draining soil and full sun. The best clump I have seen was in the corner of an abandoned glass house, it must have sourced moisture from the corner, yet it became hot and dry in summer. Perfect for this.

Dormant bulbs sold each.

Ragnhild&Neil Crawford from Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Close up: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons