Curly Ferraria

Family Iridaceae. Introduced to Europe from South Africa almost 300 years ago, it still remains a little-known plant.

The Ferraria flowers have a rather unpleasant odor to attract insects that perform pollination. Plants are not winter-hardy; they cannot tolerate frosts below -5°C. They are planted in a sunny location with sandy soil. Tubers are dug up in autumn and replanted outdoors in April. They can be placed in pots, which are kept in a bright, cool room until May, and then taken outside. After the plants have finished flowering, it is necessary to wait until the leaves dry up and die back. Tubers are dug up and stored in a dry, cool but frost-free place.