This angel’s fishing rod is displaying delicate blooms in the Dry Garden.
A native of the Cape Provinces and Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa, Dierama igneum is one of over 40 African species. In its native range it produces small clumps of grass-like foliage in open grassland from coastal ranges to altitudes up to 1500m. The arching flower stems reach over 1m in height, and produce up to eight branchlets of two to ten pendent, bell-shaped flowers. The common name of this species is fairy bell. Members of the genus Dierama have corms similar to Gladiolus. They are borderline hardy, requiring free-draining soil in an open, sunny position in the garden, and they may also be grown in pots to provide protection from low temperatures in winter. The genus takes its name from the Greek word dierama meaning funnel, and the species name igneum means fiery or glowing, in reference to the flower colour.