Gardeners' World Magazine is often the first port of call for people trying to identify an unknown plant, and every summer I can guarantee receiving at least one photo of a particular Mexican bulb that has left someone baffled.
Gardeners' World Magazine is often the first port of call for people trying to identify an unknown plant, and every summer I can guarantee receiving at least one photo of a particular Mexican bulb that has left someone baffled. Originating among the dry grasslands of Mexico and Guatemala comes Tigridia pavonia, a dwarfish plant grown from a bulb that boasts two common names - the Tiger Flower or Peacock Flower. Despite being fairly cheap to buy you'd expect it to be more widely known, but clearly it isn't.
As a bit of a bulb 'nut', I've grown many, many bulbous plants but never tigridia. So, when another photo of tigridia arrived last year I made a note to order and grow some myself. I'll admit that results haven't been that successful, possibly because I planted the bulbs in large pots using a peat-free compost that has remained too moist. Extra sand or grit should have been added to sharpen up the drainage, then the bulbs would have grown better I'm sure. Some have grown, producing tall flat leaves possibly 30cm long or even taller. Flowers were a long time coming, and when they did, one blink and you've missed them! Tigridia flowers open and die within a day or two - quite disappointing when you've waited several months for their moment of glory.
But they are stunning. Three bold outer petals unfurl with three smaller ones between, exposing the long central stigma and stamen, with flowers reaching about 10-15cm across. Colours are primary and vibrant, with stunning speckling near the centre. This must be where their common name of Peacock Flower has derived.
To be honest, if I was looking for a pot of summer bulbs to deliver real flower value then it wouldn't be a pot of tigridia. Far better performance comes from eucomis, agapanthus, tulbaghia and a host of others. Still, I've grown them now, and even have my own pictures to share with those readers who send me theirs. Could this be the start of a Gardeners' Picture Exchange?
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