Veltheimia – Cape Hyacinth

Veltheimia: Many years ago a great gardener from England used to write admiringly of Veltheimia, a South African bulb, listed as cape hyacinth.

Here is a bulb, just distinguishable from a hyacinth bulb to the experienced eye by its slightly more pointed shape and a tinge of brownish-purple. It enjoys dryness all summer and stays perfectly dormant. British gardeners even burn off the dry tops of some African bulbs in spring, before they plunge them (in pots) into a coldframe covered to shed rain.

When the cool weather of fall comes, the plant may be brought indoors. A crown of wavy broad foliage slowly develops, growing to 2 feet across, with much of the beauty of a bird’s-nest fern.

The Potting Mix

Potting in a rich mixture with the tip of the bulb well exposed, and placing in a sunny window of a cool room, will assure luxuriant growth of foliage followed by the development of one or more flower spikes of most interesting form and color.

When the long, tubular flowers finally open, their greenish-pink color is not as spectacular as some people would like, but the beautiful foliage easily compensates for any shortcomings of the flower. After blooming, interesting large-winged seed capsules may be produced.

Dormancy is reached slowly, and the bulb tends to increase in size, rather than to split up into “grass,” the annoying vice of some of the South African bulbs.

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