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Hypoxis baurii
Red star (Hypoxis baurii) is a small tuberous perennial from damp South African meadows, grown for its pink star-shaped flowers in summer. It needs moist soil in the growing season and a dry rest period in winter.
Hypoxis baurii, the red star or rosy posy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypoxidaceae which is native to South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland, where it grows in damp meadows. Growing to no more than 10 cm (3.9 in) tall and broad, it is a herbaceous perennial with lanceolate, sharply folded, hairy grey-green leaves, and pale or deep pink star-shaped flowers throughout summer. The upturned flowers are held on slender, short straight stalks. The tepals are of equal length and held alternately in two ranks.
The specific epithet baurii is named for Reverend L. R. Baur (1825-1889), who collected Rhodohypoxis in South Africa.
It prefers a peaty, acid soil which stays reliably moist in summer but dries out in winter to ensure a suitable dormant period.
The necessary conditions may be achieved in a pot or trough, or by planting it in peat pockets. Propagation is by seed or division. Many cultivars have been developed for ornamental garden use. Most are larger-flowered and more vigorous than the species. Cultivar names include 'Apple Blossom', 'Dawn', 'Emily Peel' and 'Susan Garnett-Bottfield'.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hypoxis baurii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
