Ixia Venus (Red) – Bulbs (set of 5)

If you need a colorful addition to a flower bed that gets hot afternoon sun, you might want to try growing Ixia bulbs. Pronounced Ik-see-uh, the plants are commonly called wand flowers, cornflowers or African corn lily plants. Ixia wand flower thrives in the hottest and sunniest areas of the garden, producing attractive, sword-shaped foliage and masses of dainty, star-shaped flowers on wiry stems.

When growing Ixia bulbs, actually corms, you may be happily surprised to find they are shaped like chocolate kisses. Ixia plant info says to plant the corms 3 to 5 inches deep and 3 inches apart into fertile, well-draining soil. Southern gardeners should plant them in fall, while those in USDA gardening zones 4 and 5 should plant in spring. Care of wand flowers includes a heavy layer of mulch for fall planted bulbs in zones 6 and 7.

Types of Ixia Wand Flower

1. Ixia wand flower blooms in a multitude of colors, depending on the cultivar planted.
2. Turquoise green blooms with purple to almost black centers, called eyes, bloom on the cultivar Ixia viridiflora.
3. Panorama is white with purplish red eyes, while Hogarth features cream colored blooms with a red-purple center.
4. The cultivar Marquette has yellow tips with purple black centers.