Freesia leichtlinii
Dune Kammetjie
Overview
Freesia leichtlinii is a cormous perennial of the family Iridaceae, growing from an underground corm and reaching 8–16 inches (20–40 cm) tall in flower. The narrow, sword-shaped leaves form a flat fan 4–10 inches (10–25 cm) long at the base. In late winter and spring a slender, sharply bent flowering stem carries a one-sided spike of 4–10 fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers, each about 1–1.6 inches (25–40 mm) long, creamy white to pale yellow with a yellow throat and sometimes purple markings. The flowers are strongly scented. After flowering the plant dies back to the corm and rests through the dry summer. F. leichtlinii is native to coastal dunes and sandy flats of the south-western Cape of South Africa and has naturalised in parts of Australia and other dry-summer regions. It needs a winter-wet, summer-dry cycle and free drainage, and rots where soils stay wet in summer. It can spread from seed and offset corms and become weedy in mild climates.
Native Range
Native to the south-western Cape of South Africa, on coastal dunes and sandy flats, and naturalised in parts of Australia and other regions with dry summers.Suggested Uses
Used in sunny borders, rockeries, and containers, and naturalised in grass in dry-summer climates. Suited to free-draining sandy soils with a dry summer rest. Planted in groups 3–4 inches (8–10 cm) apart for scent and display.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 1'4"
Width/Spread3" - 6"
Bloom Information
Fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers open in late winter and spring (August–October in the southern hemisphere) on a one-sided, bent spike. Each spike carries 4–10 flowers, creamy white to pale yellow, opening in succession over two to three weeks. The plant then dies back to the corm for summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
creamy white to pale yellowFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 5-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Freesia leichtlinii in full sun to light shade in light, free-draining sandy or loamy soil. It needs moisture through autumn, winter, and spring and a dry rest once the leaves yellow in summer. Summer watering rots the dormant corm. The corms multiply readily, and the plant also self-seeds, building into clumps that can spread in mild, dry-summer climates. Congested clumps can be lifted and divided when dormant. Propagation is by separating offset corms or by seed.Pruning
No pruning is required. Spent flower stems and yellowing leaves can be removed once the plant enters summer dormancy. The corm regenerates foliage the following autumn.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons