About Hypoxis baurii Baker
Hypoxis baurii Baker, commonly called red star or rosy posy, is a flowering plant species in the Hypoxidaceae family. It is native to South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland, where it naturally grows in damp meadows. This herbaceous perennial grows no more than 10 cm (3.9 in) tall and wide. It produces lanceolate, sharply folded, hairy grey-green leaves, and bears pale or deep pink star-shaped upturned flowers all summer. Flowers are carried on slender, short straight stalks. Its tepals are equal in length and arranged alternately in two ranks. The specific epithet baurii honors Reverend L. R. Baur (1825-1889), who collected Rhodohypoxis in South Africa. For cultivation, this plant prefers peaty, acidic soil that stays consistently moist during summer, but dries out over winter to support its required dormant period. These growing conditions can be achieved in a pot or trough, or by planting the species in peat pockets. It can be propagated either by seed or by division. Many ornamental garden cultivars have been developed; most produce larger flowers and are more vigorous than the wild species. Named cultivars include 'Apple Blossom', 'Dawn', 'Emily Peel' and 'Susan Garnett-Bottfield'. This species, previously classified as Rhodohypoxis baurii, has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
