Hessea breviflora (Adult 2022)

Hessea are rare South African bulbs known as umbrella lilies because they produce showy umbels of beautiful starry flowers that look like umbrellas. Each bulb produces two narrow, erect to spreading, strap-shaped leaves. H. brevifolia is one of the showiest speces with beautiful mid pink, lightly scented flowers that number 10-55 per inflorescence with darker centres and black stamens in autumn after summer dormancy when they should be kept dry. The shiny green leaves emerge from an attractive maroon-coloured sheath after flowering and persist through winter into spring. Easy to grow and bloom in sandy, gritty soil mixes. Collect and plant the seeds to build a colony. Check out pictures from the website of the Pacific Bulb Society to get a better sense for the beauty of this bulb. Our nursery-grown bulbs are adult blooming size as of 2022.