Back to latest Flower of the Week

Nerine flexuosa 'Alba'

12 November 2010

You are unlikely to lie under a nerine to enjoy this palm-tree effect, but I was looking for a plain background to show off the frilly petals (correctly, tepals) of this autumn favourite, and the sky seemed the proper choice.

N. flexuosa is not considered as hardy as the more usual N. bowdenii - all are from South Africa - so I have always grown it in a pot, bringing it into the conservatory in October (and giving it a spell outside in fine weather). Its great appeal is the way the 'petals' wiggle. All nerines, I believe, have the same quality of sparkling with the crystalline surface of their flowers.

PS My colleague John Grimshaw (johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.com) has just prompted me. "Flexuosa' is only its 'hort' name; botanically it is a form of N.undulata. More importantly, it forms its flower buds just before flowering, unlike N.bowdenii and N sarniensis which form them the year before and can be discombobulated by a cold wet season. No need for the pot, says John; a warm corner outside is enough.

Back to last week's Flower of the Week