How to Grow Dierama
Dierama pulcherrimum
Dierama is an elegant South African perennial growing from a corm, producing graceful arching wand-like stems hung with bell-shaped flowers in pink and purple during midsummer. It demands full sun and well-drained soil, and resents disturbance once established. Plant corms 8 cm deep in spring, 45 cm apart, in a sheltered spot. Leave the evergreen grassy foliage intact over winter to protect the corm. May take two to three seasons to settle and flower well. Mulch in autumn in colder areas.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Apply a balanced granular feed in spring as growth resumes. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which produce lush leaves at the expense of flowers.
Watch For
- Root rot in waterlogged soil
- Red spider mite under glass
- Frost damage to emerging growth
Companions
Grasses, Agapanthus, Crocosmia, Kniphofia
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun, sheltered from wind
Needs full sun for best flowering. Choose a sheltered spot as the arching wand-like stems can be damaged by strong winds.
Watering
Moist but well-drained
Keep soil consistently moist during the growing season but never waterlogged. Good drainage is essential as the corm rots in wet winter soil.
Fertilizing
Balanced feed in spring
Apply a balanced granular fertiliser in spring as growth resumes. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which produce lush leaves at the expense of flowers.
Pruning
Remove spent stems, keep foliage
Cut spent flower stems after blooming. Do not cut back the evergreen foliage in winter as it protects the corm. Remove only dead leaves in spring.
