Chasmanthe aethiopica (L.) N.E.Br.
small chasmanthe, small cobra lily · suurkanolpypie, klein piempiempie (Afr.)
One of the first Cape bulbs to bloom: arching spikes of orange tubular flowers in autumn and early winter.
What’s in the name: Chasmanthe: Greek for "gaping flower"; aethiopica: "African" (an old use of the word).
“There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.”
— Henry David Thoreau, Walden – Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Project Gutenberg
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Iridaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Coastal bush and forest margins, mostly on clay, from Darling north of Cape Town east along the coast to Kentani in the Eastern Cape. Not hardy to hard frost.
Size & form
Deciduous cormous plant to about 0.6 m. Pale green, lance-shaped leaves 12–20 mm wide; the flower spike is held almost horizontally, with flowers in two rows along its upper side.
Flowering
April to June, occasionally July.
Uses in landscaping
- Winter colour in beds
- Underplanting beneath deciduous trees, where it can spread freely
- Containers (repot often, as it multiplies fast)
Care notes
Fertile, free-draining soil in sun or part sun. Dormant in summer – keep fairly dry then. Spreads by corm division. Early growth means it largely escapes the pests that hit later bulbs.
Wildlife value
Sunbird-pollinated (especially the Lesser Double-collared Sunbird); flowers produce plenty of nectar.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Chasmanthe aethiopica'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Chasmanthe aethiopica (L.) N.E.Br. (assessment 2005/06/30).