About Watsonia marginata (L.f.) Ker Gawl.
Nomenclature
Watsonia marginata (L.f.) Ker Gawl. is a species of flowering plant in the Iridaceae family, commonly called the fragrant bugle-lily.
Native Distribution
It is native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa, where its native natural range receives winter rainfall and has dry summers.
Cultivation Use
It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for gardens, valued for its showy flower spikes.
Growth Form
This plant is a perennial herb that grows from a corm, reaching well over one meter in height when flowering, and sometimes growing as tall as two meters.
Leaf Count and Dimensions
Each corm produces three or four erect leaves that can grow up to 80 centimeters long and 5 centimeters wide.
Leaf Appearance
The leaves are blue-green with thickened yellow margins.
Inflorescence and Flower Color
The inflorescence is a dense spike holding 30 to 50 flowers, which can be any shade of pink, and are sometimes dark red or white.
Flower Symmetry
Unlike the flowers of other Watsonia species, which are zygomorphic, the flowers of this species are actinomorphic, meaning they are radially symmetrical.
Flower Size
Each flower is several centimeters long.
Invasion Potential
Like some other Watsonia species, W. marginata can escape from cultivation and establish in the wild as a weedy introduced species in suitable climates.
Introduced Range
It has been found as an introduced species in Western Australia and California.
