My garden survived winter and two hail storms and as the summer colour bursts forth at an alarming rate I watch for daily changes as each day greets me with a new blossom.
I’ve discovered one of the most under-rated indigenous plants which had been a star performer in my garden – Diascia integerrima (Twinspur). The books speak about this plant having flowers throughout summer and autumn. My collection has given me a constant display of the stunning salmon-coloured flowers since the day I planted them on 25 April 2011. The plants have also grown and spread to cover a considerable area. It is certainly a plant that should have a place in every garden and is available in shades of pink, orange and white.
Despite its delicate appearance, Diascia integerrima is a hardy perennial which is low maintenance, drought tolerant, frost resistant and grows in full sun or semi-shade. It is seldom attacked by pests and is a great filler plants for mixed herbaceous borders. It is also suitable for hanging baskets, containers and rockeries. It grows about 30cm high and has a spread of 40-50cm. It is naturally found in rocky sites and among streamside thickets.
Interestingly, this plant is pollinated by a specialized genus of bee, Rediviva, whose forelegs have evolved to as much as three times their normal length in order to reach into the spurs of the flower, to harvest the fatty oil produced by the glands. This modification is restricted to the females. Upon landing on a flower, she will insert her elongated front legs into each hollow spur and probe the ends for the oil-producing elaiophores.
I’ve discovered one of the most under-rated indigenous plants which had been a star performer in my garden – Diascia integerrima (Twinspur). The books speak about this plant having flowers throughout summer and autumn. My collection has given me a constant display of the stunning salmon-coloured flowers since the day I planted them on 25 April 2011. The plants have also grown and spread to cover a considerable area. It is certainly a plant that should have a place in every garden and is available in shades of pink, orange and white.
Despite its delicate appearance, Diascia integerrima is a hardy perennial which is low maintenance, drought tolerant, frost resistant and grows in full sun or semi-shade. It is seldom attacked by pests and is a great filler plants for mixed herbaceous borders. It is also suitable for hanging baskets, containers and rockeries. It grows about 30cm high and has a spread of 40-50cm. It is naturally found in rocky sites and among streamside thickets.
Interestingly, this plant is pollinated by a specialized genus of bee, Rediviva, whose forelegs have evolved to as much as three times their normal length in order to reach into the spurs of the flower, to harvest the fatty oil produced by the glands. This modification is restricted to the females. Upon landing on a flower, she will insert her elongated front legs into each hollow spur and probe the ends for the oil-producing elaiophores.
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