About Hesperantha coccinea (Backh. & Harv.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
Hesperantha coccinea, commonly called river lily or crimson flag lily, has the synonym Schizostylis coccinea. It is a species of flowering plant in the iris family Iridaceae, native to Southern Africa and Zimbabwe. This semievergreen perennial grows to 60 cm (24 in) tall, with slender lanceolate leaves that reach up to 40 cm (16 in) long and 1 cm (0.4 in) broad. Its flowers are most often red, and occasionally pink or white; they measure 30–35 mm long and have six petals. Between four and ten flowers grow alternately along a spike, blooming from late summer to autumn. The Latin specific epithet coccinea translates to "bright red". Hesperantha coccinea is cultivated as an ornamental garden plant for its flowers, and is often used in floristry. It is cold hardy down to temperatures between −5 and −10 °C (23 and 14 °F), and is grown under glass in regions colder than this. In cultivation, it was formerly called "Kaffir lily", and is still occasionally referred to by this name. The term "Kaffir" is now widely recognized as an offensive ethnic slur. Numerous cultivated varieties are available, and four of these have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: 'Jennifer' (mid-pink), 'Major' (scarlet), 'Sunrise' (salmon pink), and 'Wilfred H. Bryant' (blush pink).
