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Moraea flaccida

great tulip

Iridaceae South Africa (Cape region)

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Moraea flaccida is a cormous perennial 12-20 inches (30-50 cm) tall, producing a single long, channelled basal leaf that usually overtops the flowering stem. Salmon-orange to pink flowers about 2 inches (5 cm) across open in spring, each with a yellow centre and lasting only a day or two, with new flowers opening in succession. It grows from a rounded corm 0.4-0.8 inch (1-2 cm) wide wrapped in fibrous tunics, and forms small cormels that aid its spread. Moraea flaccida is native to South Africa and is a declared noxious weed in southern Australia, where it invades pasture, crops, and disturbed ground. All parts contain cardiac glycosides that are toxic to cattle, sheep, and other livestock, and poisoning can be fatal. The corm and cormels persist in the soil, making established infestations hard to remove. Foliage dies back to the corm in summer, and the plant regrows after autumn and winter rains.

Native Range

Moraea flaccida is native to the Cape region of South Africa. It has naturalised as a serious weed in southern Australia and parts of the western United States, mainly in pasture, cropland, and disturbed ground with winter rainfall.

Suggested Uses

Moraea flaccida has no horticultural use and is listed for control across its weedy range. It is treated as a hazard in grazing land because of its toxicity to livestock rather than as a garden plant.

How to Identify

Identify by the single long, channelled leaf that arches over the flowering stem and the salmon-orange to pink flowers about 2 inches (5 cm) wide with a yellow centre. Each flower lasts only a day or two. The corm has a coat of fibrous tunics and produces small cormels around its base, which sets it apart from Watsonia spp. and Gladiolus spp..

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 1'8"

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring

Flowering occurs in spring, mainly August to November in its native and naturalised southern-hemisphere range. Individual flowers open for one or two days, with fresh flowers continuing in succession over several weeks. Seed capsules and cormels form before the plant dies back for summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

salmon-orange to pink

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam clay

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years from corm

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Moraea flaccida grows from a corm in full sun on a wide range of soils and is active through the cooler, wetter months before going dormant in summer. It needs no cultivation and spreads readily from seed and cormels. In farmland it is managed as a toxic weed because all parts contain cardiac glycosides that poison grazing livestock. Control combines removing or spraying plants before they set seed with steps to limit corm and seed movement. The corms persist in soil for years, so a single season of control rarely clears an infestation.

Pruning

No pruning is practised, as the plant is treated as a weed rather than grown. Cutting or grazing does not reliably kill it, because it reshoots and flowers from the corm. Cutting flower stems before seed set reduces spread but leaves the corms and cormels in the soil.