GEORGE NEWS - The beautiful, scarlet George lily can be bought at the Garden Route Botanical Garden (GRBG) nursery.
The George lily (Cyrtanthus elatus) occurs naturally in the Outeniqua mountains around George. This evergreen plant has stout stems that bear large, open trumpet-shaped flowers above the sturdy green leaves.
The stunning bulb is easy to cultivate and produces many bulbets around the parent plant. It is best planted in light shade, sandy and well-drained soil, with added compost.
A GRBG volunteer, Marè Collett, points out that too much shade will affect flowering. The George lily is excellent for cut flowers for the vase and also a good container subject.
The word "cyrtanthus" refers to the Greek word meaning "curved flower".
The nursery at the Garden Route Botanical Garden is situated at 49 Caledon Street, George, and is open Mondays to Fridays from 08:30 to 16:30 and on Saturday morning from 09:00 to 13:00. For further information, contact Fadia on 044 874 1558 or info@botanicalgarden.org.za.
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