Painted Petals is a genus of small, flowering, plants in the iris family, usually not more than 2 feet high, and native to southern Africa. They are typically grown as perennials in USDA zones 8 to 10, but as half-hardy annuals in cooler climates. There are about 26 species of plants identified as belonging to this genus, many of which are found in the cape provinces of South Africa. They are cormous plants, meaning that they grow and spread by means of underground tubers. Depending on species, the flowers come in many colors, but most are small, fragrant, and bloom in early summer. Painted Petals prefer full sun or afternoon sun and well-drained, sandy, acidic soil. The plants will tolerate poor soil and dry conditions. They should be well-watered in the spring and summer. The root stock is a bell-shaped or triangular corm with a flat base of woody or densely compacted fibers. You should plant corms to a depth of 2 inches (5 cm) and space 6 inches apart, or 6 per 6-inch pot. Because the plant's native environment is dry and inhospitable, corms can remain underground during bad years waiting for a more favorable environment to grow. Thus, corms should be left undisturbed and repotting every year is not recommended. However, once established, they can be transplanted in the early spring and should be divided every three years to maintain a vigorous growth. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf feel
Smooth
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Sword-shaped leaves are basal and usually solitary. They may be flat and curved to narrow and pleated. Scape, or flowering stems, often occur and could be subterranean or aerial, simple or branched, depending of the species.
Flower color
Pink; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower detail
The lily-like flowers bloom in early summer and can take many shapes and forms, depending on the species. While not particularly showy, they tend to be fragrant.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
A membranous capsule containing many small seeds, either globose or angled by pressure.