cold hardy South African winter growers?

Charles Powne iyou@me.com
Wed, 28 Dec 2016 18:36:51 PST
Hello Nick,

I grow South African native species in my front yard, so your question is one I’ve spent more than a little time on. Sadly, winter blooming South African bulbs generally come from areas with much milder winters than what you or I can provide. These plants bloom in winter because that's the only time when there’s any rainfall, never mind that the summers are very hot and extremely dry. According to the information at the Annie’s Annuals website, your moraea is restricted to zones 9b to 11, which is typical for bulbs growing in a Mediterranean climate. You mentioned having a low of 20°F on Friday; that’s the low end zone 9, but it gets a lot colder there in Durham, NC. So my answer to your question is that there aren’t any winter blooming South African bulbs you can grow outside year ‘round in North Carolina. However, if you look to the Drakensberg you’ll find a climate that more closely aligns with your own, and plenty of interesting summer bloomers that will thrive in your garden. Either that, or grow your winter-flowering bulbs in a greenhouse and then dry them out — and keep them dry — in the summer. That’s what I do.

Charles Powne
iyou@me.com
USDA zone 8b



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