Hesperantha coccinea


Hesperantha coccinea is a flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to Southern Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is a semievergreen perennial growing to tall, with slender lanceolate leaves up to long and broad. The flowers are red, occasionally pink or white, 30-35 mm long, with six petals; they are produced four to ten alternately on a spike in late summer to autumn.
The Latin specific epithet coccinea means “bright red”.

Cultivation and uses

It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens for its flowers, used in floristry. It is only hardy to between ; in colder regions it is grown under glass. It is sometimes known in cultivation as "Kaffir lily". "Kaffir" is an offensive ethnic slur.
Numerous cultivars are available, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-