Watsonia meriana
bulbil bugle-lily
Overview
Watsonia meriana is a cormous perennial 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) tall, forming clumps of erect, sword-shaped leaves 16-36 inches (40-90 cm) long and up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) wide. From spring it sends up branched spikes of tubular flowers, each 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) long, in orange-red, brick-red, or pink. The form naturalised across Australia, var. bulbillifera, produces clusters of small cormlets (bulbils) along the flowering stem alongside or in place of seed; these detach and grow into new plants. It grows from a rounded corm 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) wide and is dormant in summer. Watsonia meriana is native to South Africa and has become an environmental weed in southern Australia, where the bulbil-bearing form spreads along watercourses, roadsides, and damp pasture and is hard to remove once established because cormlets persist in the soil. Foliage and flower spikes die back to the corm after flowering. It tolerates clay, loam, and sandy soils but grows fastest in moist, fertile sites.
Native Range
Watsonia meriana is native to the Cape region of South Africa. It has naturalised in southern Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the western United States, where it colonises moist, disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
Sometimes grown as a tall accent in dry-climate and Mediterranean-style gardens for its spring flower spikes. In regions where it is a declared weed it is grown only with caution or not at all, because the cormlets escape readily into surrounding land.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height3' - 6'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in spring, from September to November in the southern hemisphere. Each spike stays in bloom for several weeks. After flowering, the bulbil-bearing form develops cormlets along the stem, and the foliage then dies back for summer dormancy.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
orange-red to pinkFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Watsonia meriana grows from a corm in full sun to part shade and tolerates clay, loam, or sandy soils. It is most active in the cooler, wetter months and goes dormant in summer. Established clumps need little water and withstand short dry spells. In many regions the bulbil-bearing form is classed as an environmental or noxious weed, and the cormlets make it persistent and hard to contain once planted. Lifting and destroying corms and cormlets is the main means of control. New plants arise readily, often unintentionally, from detached cormlets.Pruning
Spent flower spikes and dying foliage can be cut back to the base after blooming. Cutting flower stems of the bulbil-bearing form before the cormlets mature reduces spread. Corms can be lifted during summer dormancy.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 5 gallons