Tritonia crocata

Family: Iridaceae

What it is like

Tritonia crocata is a CORM growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in flower from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.5

Where it is found

Dry clay flats and slopes in the southern Cape.

S. Africa.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

The flowers are used as an adulterant of saffron in flavouring food and colouring it yellow.

Colouring: edible dyes

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a sunny position, preferring a well-drained neutral to slightly acid soil with a pH in the range 6.5 to 7. Requires moisture in the winter and spring followed by a dry period in the summer and early autumn. A difficult plant to grow outdoors in Britain, it comes into growth in the winter and flowers in the spring. The growing plant is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Closely related to T. squallida, apparently differing only in the colour of the flowers.

Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse at 15°c. It usually germinates freely. Seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left undisturbed in the pot for their first two years of growth. Give them an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant in the summer, pot up the small bulbs placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer. Division. Dig up the corms in October, dry them in well ventilated conditions at about 20°c and then store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, planting them out about 10cm deep in April. Corms should be planted out in the autumn. Cormlets harvested when digging up the corms in the autumn can be stored in a similar manner to the corms. Larger cormlets can be planted out in spring, smaller ones may be best grown on for a year in the greenhouse.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Hedgerow;

Habit: Corm

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

T. hyalina.