Description
Special Features of Tigridia
Tigridia is a genus of herbaceous bulbous perennials of the iris family Iridaceae comprising about 55 species (Some sources modestly speak about only 35 or just over 20). Tigridia is native to Central America (Mexico, Guatemala) and South America (Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia). Naturally, for Europeans who appeared in the region in the 16th century, the showiest species appeared to be the most amazing and attractive. It was named Tigridia pavonia (Peacock Flower). The first word in this combination (i.e. the name of the genus), is believed to be composed of the Latin words "tigris" ("tiger") and "eidos" ("like"), to refer to the bright tiger-like colouring of the spotted centre of the flower. The word "Peacock" probably alludes to a stunning exotic appearance of the plant. Since then, Tigridia has become widely grown in the Old World gardens.
When studying plants of the genus Tigridia, Europeans invented a number of synonyms: Beatonia and Rigidella in 1840, Cardiostigma in 1877, Colima in 2003, Fosteria in 1968, Hydrotaenia in 1838, and Pardinia in 1844. Why? Perhaps, they have been confused by the presence of St. Tigridia in the Catholic Church's list of patron saints since the 11th century (Remembrance day November 22, according to the Gregorian calendar).
Ancient Aztecs in Mexico and Guatemala in the mid-13th century undoubtedly enjoyed the beauty of the bright peacock flower. They called it the "cacomitl" and ate the nutritious bulbs. The bulbs are rich in starch (21%) and carbohydrates (13% glucose and 8% gum); if eaten raw, they give an unpleasant burning sensation in the mouth; when baked, they are as tasty as Ipomoea batatas (sweet potatoes containing up to 30% of starch and 6% sugar) that grows in Peru and Colombia and was eaten by other Indian tribes, the Arawaks.
The Aztecs also knew about medicinal properties of Tigridia pavonia roots and used them to promote fertility and treat fever and stomach problems.
Nowadays, Tigridia pavonia is still cultivated in Mexico for its edible bulbs but to the east of the Atlantic Ocean it is popular only as a source of aesthetic pleasure, admiration, and delight.
The branching stems reach 70 centimetres tall. The bulb is elongated, slightly twisted, up to 6 centimetres long and 4.3 centimetres across; it develops 3 to 5 flower stalks, each producing about half a dozen buds. Buds open in the morning; a flower is 10-15 centimetres in diametre and only lives for 8-10 hours. Do not get discouraged! The buds bloom in succession, so the total flowering period lasts for 15-25 days. And what if you plant 30 bulbs in your flower bed? Imagine that they all survived till the last week of July and started to produce 8-10 flowers every day? For 5-6 weeks and even in early September, your blooming Tigridia will offer a spectacular sight, as if huge three-winged butterflies are resting on tops of the long lanceolate pleated pale green leaves.
The outer (larger) perianth lobes in the original species are magenta on the bottom and plain red on the top; internal (smaller and shorter) lobes are yellow red or yellow orange and variously blotched. Currently, a large number of new cultivars have appeared showing different flower colouring: white, yellow, purple red, pale pink, orange, etc., while the spotted centre (up to 6 centimetres in diametre) features yellow, golden yellow, carmine, red, and pink spots and stripes. Some varieties have stems exceeding 1 metre. Usually they are so strong that there is no need for staking.
There are also other species of this genus that can be of interest for amateur and professional growers:
- Tigridia buccifera has pale pink flowers 5-7 centimetres in diametre.
- Tigridia galanthoides flowers are reminiscent of the genus Galanthus commonly known as the Snowdrop.
- Tigridia meleagris flowers are reminiscent of Fritillaria (Fritillaria meleagris) (see an article in our Garden Encyclopaedia).
- Tigridia mexicana has yellow flowers.
- Tigridia seleriana has bluish lilac flowers.
- Tigridia violacea has drooping outer perianth lobes.
The Secrets to Successfully Growing Tigridia
Tigridia can be propagated by seed. You will have to extract the seeds from the capsules (they only mature in the plants that start to bloom no later than in July), properly store them in the winter, sow in late winter, take care of the seedlings, prick into individual pots, plant the seedlings out in the garden ... and wait until they bloom, which usually occurs only in the second year from seeding.
Alternatively, you can use the method below, which is simpler, faster and more convenient.
By the end of the growing season, the old (mother) bulb is completely exhausted and is replaced by up to 5 offsets. To make them stronger, we recommend the following:
- During flowering, the plant should not waste its energy on producing seeds. Immediately remove withered flowers and seed capsules.
- Before the first expected frosts in late September or early October, carefully plant Tigridia with the ball of soil in a pot or container. Move to a sheltered area (for example, the porch). Place in a well-lit place and continue watering and fertilizing, trying to extend the growing season for 1.5-2 months, so that the corms develop intensively and become fully mature. As the leaves wither, reduce watering.
When the mother bulb finally dies because of increasingly cold weather or simply in the course of time, cut the stalks and dig out the clump of bulbs. Do not split. Leave to dry for 2-4 weeks in a ventilated place at a room temperature, then shake out soil and cut dry roots and leaves, leaving stumps 2-3 centimetres long. Treat the whole clump with fungicide (0.7% Fundazol suspension, Benlat, Maxim, or the garlic solution (0.5 kilograms of garlic per 1 litre of water) and leave to dry in the same conditions for 1-2 weeks.
Store the treated clump unsplit in a dark place in dry sawdust, sand, or peat at 4-8 ° C until the spring. Increased (or high) air humidity can result in mold and/or rot of bulblets. If you cannot provide required air humidity, hang the offset in a nylon net bag on the ceiling, which should ensure necessary ventilation.
Three to five days prior to the scheduled date of planting, carefully split the clump into individual bulbs. Allow to dry, then plant the bulbs in drained pots for rearing until the stalk appears or in containers or directly in the open ground, depending on your climate zone and especially on the threat of frosts (Tigridia is frost tender).
It is best to plant the bulbs in late May in the open ground. It is undesirable to plant them later as they can get irreversibly shrunk. It is dangerous to plant them earlier because of possible cold weather. Plant large bulbs 8 centimetres deep and smaller ones closer to the surface. Space the bulbs at 15-20 centimetres apart.
An ideal spot for Tigridia is sunny and protected from the cold and any strong winds.
The soil must be fertile, loose, lightweight (sandy, sandy loam, or at worst, loam), moderately moist, and slightly acid or neutral (pH = 5.0-7.3). Turn over the soil beforehand and add ash or other mineral and organic fertilizers (compost or manure, humus, or peat). Soggy and waterlogged soil can cause damage, so make sure the entire flower bed is adequately drained or at least add sand (or vermiculite, if available) into each hole under the bottom of the bulbs.
If you want your young Tigridia to flower earlier, pot the offset in April or even March and place in the window, gazebo, or greenhouse. First, keep on the dry side; when flower shoots appear, water more frequently. Plant out in the open ground in early June.
Water Tigridia regularly with lukewarm water. Apply water at a low trickle and make sure it reaches the roots. To protect against fungal infections, add potassium permanganate and water the plants with dark pink solution of KMnO4. On hot days and during flowering, water thoroughly. If you want to reduce the number of waterings, mulch the soil. Mulching will also help to warm the soil, slow down drying out, and improve the flowering quality.
The flowering quality also depends on whether the bulbs have enough nutrients. In the summer, feed Tigridia at least once per month or better 2 or 3 times per month with a water-soluble compound mineral fertilizer through roots (at the time of watering) or leaves (see the article on Ivy). Prior to bloom, feed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer once every 2 weeks.
Do not forget to loosen the soil and remove weeds.
Potential Problems
Corms planted directly in the open ground in cool weather take root very slowly and shoots will appear in about a month, so be patient.
Shallow watering only harms the plant.
When replanting the seedlings from pots to the open ground, be careful to keep the ball of soil around the roots. Consider staking a thin tall stem so that it does not get broken by the wind. It is recommended to use a wooden stake or metal reinforcing rod painted grey green.
Throughout the winter storage, regularly inspect the planting material, identify rotten corms, and immediately discard them. If you have properly prepared the bulbs for storage, the damage is likely to have been caused by insufficient ripening of the bulbs. Of course, plant damage is always frustrating for a grower, but you have to put up with it. Better luck next time ...
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Those who are lucky can sometimes see a four-winged "butterflies" rather than three-winged ones. Just imagine this miracle - an almost square flower ...
Good luck and never give up!!!
