Tigridia

Tigridia: Traditions and Beliefs

Facts about Tigridia

This flower’s name tells everything there is to say. The coloring of some varieties of tigridia is reminiscent of the colors on a tiger skin. But this flower has proved so rich in bright, succulent colors that the name given for the garden-cultivated plant reflects this unique property: Tigridia peacock (Tigridia pavonia).

• In the wilderness, tigridia can be found in the Central and South American countries of Peru, Guatemala, Chile, and Mexico, where there are nearly 20 different varieties.

• Tigridia is planted out is April or May and blooms from June to October Tigridia loves sun and well-fertilized, drained, light soil. Its corms are planted in April, three inches deep. Use staggered planting times to get a succession of bloom. In the fall when the foliage is mature the corms are dug and packed in dry sand or peat. The leaves are removed in the spring at planting.

• Tigridia has one very rare property: Its flowers bloom for only one day before fading, but because there are many buds on one flower-bearing stem, tigridia can flower for several weeks in a row.

• Read more Facts about flowers

Ttigridia: History

Until the end of the eighteenth Century, tigridia was unknown to Europeans. It arrived in the Old World only in 1796, when its exotic color immediately won over the hearts of floriculturists.