Ixia, Ixia, Wherefore Art Though Ixia

Ixia, are a stunning flower, I'd never really noticed how stunning until I saw my sisters garden, where, right now, Ixia are flowering in all sorts of beautiful colours.

Native to South Afirca, the plants themselves aren't much to look at, with blade-like green-grey foliage, that amongst other greenery gets a little lost, but once they start flowering! My gosh! Stand back for a show!

Ranging from white, yellow, red, orange, vibrant pink, purple and many combinations in between, they create quite an eye-catching feature.

Corms should be planted about 5cm deep and 5 to 10cm apart, they're also better off being planted in clumps for the best show throughout spring and early summer.

They prefer a nice, well-draining soil with well composted organic matter and/or manure. If you don't have good drainage, trying adding a bit of sand when planting or, gypsum if you have clay.

Just remember they really don't enjoy being overly damp, so be careful in winter months to keep the corms dry in the ground, or, lift them and store them somewhere cool, dark and dry until it's safe to plant again.

Yellow Ixia - Ixia maculata 

Still native to South Africa, Ixia maculata has become a high priority weed for removal. They pose a major threat to the conservation efforts of Banksia woodlands and the South West.

Growing up to a metre tall (although averages 20 to 60cm) and perennial, they reproduce by both corms and seeds which can be transported by both air and water into the soil of local bushlands, where, they quickly spread, impacting native species and ecosystems.

Generally flowering August through to October, in bright yellow, purple and orange, however they hybridise easily which makes it hard to identify the correct species.

Ixia paniculata 

Ixia paniculata is also another weedy Ixia, although the priority for removal of this one is declared unknown. Hand removal must be done with caution and care, ensuring as little disturbance as possible and being thorough, you must remove all corms!

This Ixia grows taller than the maculata with main flowering time from August to October, showing yellow, orange and cream blooms.

So, like most things not native, plant with caution and be responsible. Take care not to let them spread and threaten our native ecosystems. Take care with disposing of plant parts, and please don't dump them on road sides or in a piece of bush you think won't matter. It all matters, and our choices shape our futures, and the future of our native flora and fauna.