Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southern Africa
South Africa
Types
Perennial
-
Number of Varieties
505
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Tropical regions, Well Drained, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-107-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
10-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.30 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm2.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
White, Light Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Long Narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry soil, Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Budding, From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Never Over-water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune ocassionally
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
fertilize in fall, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Bacterial leaf spot, Nematodes, Purple Blotch, Red blotch, Seedcorn maggot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry soil, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Bugs, Flying insects, Insects
Allergy
Skin irritation
Dermatitis, Pain and fatigue
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes, Used in parkland
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Indoor Air Purification, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Acne, Aging, Antidepressant, epilepsy, Nerve pain, Obesity, Vomiting
Part of Plant Used
Root
Bulbs
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Animal Feed, Can be made into a herbal tea, Oil is used in mosquito repellents, Use in Chinese herbology, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
TULBAGHIA violacea
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Society Garlic
In Hindi
African Iris
लहसुन
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Knoblauch
In French
African Iris
Ail
In Spanish
Iris africano
Ajo
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
σκόρδο
In Portuguese
Iris africano
alho
In Polish
Afryki Iris
czosnek
In Latin
African Iris
allium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Liliales
Family
Iridaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Dietes
Allium
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Monocotyledonous
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Lilioideae
Number of Species
300500
1
27800
👆🏻