Out of Africa - Garden Plants – Freesia

Name – Freesias are named after Dr Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, a German physician.

Description – the plant comes in a wide range of colours including yellows, red, pinks and white. Unlike most other flowers, where the white forms smell most strongly the red and pink freesia flowers actually have the most scent. Although this plant was almost unknown in the UK until the 1950s it is now one of the UK's favourite flowers.

Origins – They originate in South Africa, and were first imported to Europe at the end of the 19th century. Freesia belong to the Iridaceae family which include iris. They can only be grown outdoors in warm climates and sheltered areas of the garden. Because they are so delicate and easily damaged it is usually best to grow them in containers which can be moved indoors and from Yorkshire northwards, they should be grown indoors, where they produce fantastic winter flowers. The corms should be planted closely, you can set six into a five inch pot with soil should be light and well-drained. Place the top of the corm an inch below the soil. For winter flowers, plant them in late summer or early fall and keep them cool until frosts are due when you should bring them in and keep them in a sunny window to give them full sun and cool night temperatures, preferably between 45 and 40 degrees. Keep the plants well watered while leaves and flowers are developing. After the flowers have faded, when the leaves are browning, reduce the water so that the plants may be gradually dried off and the corms saved for the following year. Freesias are among the most popular and widely grown cut flowers in the world, with over 110 million stems sold in the UK each year.

For Decoration - Buy or cut them with at least one flower open on the stem and make sure they have plenty of water you should never let the stem ends dry out. Pinch out the topmost buds and remove the old flower-heads to encourage new ones to open. Keep away from fruit, vegetables, and excess heat, as they are very sensitive to the ethylene gas produced which browns them and causes them to cease opening.

Africa Freesia photograph by jim.rudknicki, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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