Lachenalia

( lak - en - NAY - lee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus includes species of waxy-flowered perennial plants that grow from bulbs. They require light shade in the warmest climates of their zone range and need regular waterings during their growing and blooming periods to perform well in the garden. Lachenalia species are native to South Africa. Flowers appear in late winter or early springtime. Leaves are strap-like and are also often spotted with brown. They are commonly called Cape Cowslip, though they are not related to true Cape Cowslip (Primula veris). Take care when planting these flowers in the landscape, as plant parts are toxic to humans and pets if ingested.

Lachenalia Species and Varietals

The genus Lachenalia is a member of the plant family Asparagaceae and includes 136 species. They are closely related to species in the Veltheimia genus. These flowers grow best in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 or Sunset growing zones 16, 17, 23 and 24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Lachenalia aloides (Opal Flower, Cape Cowslip)
This plant produces flowering stems 10-12 inches tall with yellow flowers that are tipped in green and red. Leaves are strap-shaped and stems are fleshy. Variety 'Pearsonii' (pictured) has yellow to orange flowers with reddish bases and has maroon-spotted leaves. This is the type species of the genus.

Lachenalia bulbifera (Lachenalia pendula) (Cape Cowslip, Red Lachenalia, Bulb-Bearing Leopard Lily, Rooinaeltjie)
Stems reach 15 inches tall and flowers are coral-red and yellow, tipped with purple. Leaves are spotted and stems are fleshy and green with some purple flushing. Variety 'George' (pictured) is a popular pink-flowered cultivar. This species is considered invasive in Western Australia and New Zealand.

Lachenalia carnosa (Namakwa-persviooltjie, Flesh Viooltjie, Cape Cowslip)
This species is native to the Northern Cape and Western Cape of South Africa. They are typically found in gravelly clay or sandy soils on granite outcrops. Flowers are light pink to violet-purple, held on a single spike that emerges from a basal rosette of green leaves.

Lachenalia contaminata (Wild Hyacinth, African Hyacinth, Wild Lachenalia)
These plants produce basal tufts of grass-like green foliage and flower stalks topped with spikes of white flowers with brown to maroon markings. They reach 10 inches tall and bloom in springtime in their native range in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Lachenalia flava (Golden Opal Flower, Yellow Viooltjie, Yellow Violet, Cape Cowslip)
This species is native to the southwestern Cape Provinces of South Africa. Flowers are golden yellow and dangle from their attachments to green, upright stems. Foliage is green and strappy. Individual plants reach up to 7.5 to 10 inches tall when mature and in bloom.

Lachenalia longituba (Polyxena longituba) (Long-Flowered Cape Cowslip, Long Polyxena)
These plants are native to the Roggeveld plateau of South Africa, and produce white flowers towards the middle to base of plants. These are small plants, producing grass-like foliage. Individual plants in this species reach up to 2 to 4 inches tall and 1 to 4 inches wide.

Lachenalia quadricolor (Four-Colored Opal Flower, Soldier Boys, Cape Cowslip)
This species is native to South Africa's Cape Provinces and is a commonly cultivated garden ornamental. Flowers are orange, yellow, green, and purple/maroon, each color having its own band. Individual plants reach up to just 5 inches tall and 4 inches wide.

Lachenalia reflexa (Yellow Soldier, Cape Cowslip)
This species of Lachenalia grows to 8-10 inches tall and has dense spikes of yellow flowers. 'Romaud' (pictured) is a choice ornamental cultivar of this species that has leaves mottled with burgundy. Leaves are green in the straight species. This species is highly invasive in Southwestern Australia.

Lachenalia rubida (Lachenalia punctata) (Cape Cowslip, Sandkalossie, Sand Viooltjie)
This plant reaches 8-10 inches tall and has dense flower spikes that hold violet flowers that are magenta-tipped. 'Rupert' (pictured) is a choice cultivar with leaves that have dark brown to maroon-colored markings.

Lachenalia viridiflora (Green-Flowered Cape Cowslip, Turquoise Hyacinth)
This species is endangered and is native to the southwest Cape Provinces of South Africa. It was first described in 1972 by Winsome Fanny Barker. Individual plants reach about a foot tall, and produce light blue to greenish-blue flowers. Cultivar 'Aqua Lady' has turquoise and peach-pink blooms.

Caring for Lachenalia

Take care when planting these flowers in the landscape, as plant parts are toxic to humans and pets if ingested. Lachenalia, or Cape Cowslip, is typically planted by bulbs, though some nurseries will sell specimens. They flower during the winter months, but cannot take frost. If you live in an area that gets freezing temperatures during the year, it is recommended that you grow these plants in containers to be brought indoors during the cooler months (or that permanently stay indoors as houseplants). Outdoors, they prefer a spot in the garden that receives full sun. Ideally, they should be getting between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day with some late afternoon shade when temperatures are at their peak. Plant bulbs about 12 to 16 inches apart and three inches deep, sitting with their tips up and just under the surface. Ensure that soil is rich with nutrients, well-draining, and has a pH of between 6.6 and 7.5 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Mulch around the planting area with 1-2 inches of organic material, keeping it a few inches away from foliage and stems to prevent fungal diseases. This layer will suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and increase soil moisture retention.

Water your newly planted Lachenalia regularly to help it develop a strong root system. At maturity, these plants prefer to receive regular waterings so that soil is kept evenly moist. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Waterings can be reduced when leaves begin to fade. Withhold waterings after leaves fade completely, and then resume when leaves regrow in fall. Fertilize yearly in early springtime with a application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Prune off spent flowering spikes (unless you will be gathering seed for propagation). When foliage begins to fade, make sure to leave it on the plant until it has completely died. If leaves have any green on them, they are still photosynthesizing and sending energy into their bulbs for the next season's growth. If Lachenalia is grown in a tight spot or in a pot, it will need to be divided every two to three years for best plant health. If bulbs become too overcrowded in their allotted space, the plants can develop issues. For instructions on how to divide your Cape Cowslip plants, see the propagation section below. These plants have a life span of decades in the garden, and form clumps over time which allow them to persist indefinitely.

Propagation

Lachenalia can be propagated either by division or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Cape Cowslip, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Lachenalia by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
In either late winter or early springtime, get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Lachenalia by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil, compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the bulb(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one bulb attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your bulbs with their pointed side facing the sky and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.

Lachenalia seeds are held inside of seed capsules after flowers fade.

Lachenalia seeds are very small, shiny, and black.

Problems and Pests

Certain species are considered invasive in some regions; see the species descriptions above for more information. Check with local authorities before planting. Lachenalia plants can have issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape: