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Veltheimia bracteata
Also called Forest sand-lily, Winter red hot poker, Forest Sandlily
Forest lily is a winter-flowering bulbous perennial from South Africa's Cape, bearing tubular red to orange flowers on tall stems when most other plants are dormant. It needs a sheltered spot in full sun with fast-draining soil and protection from frost.
Veltheimia bracteata is a species of plant. It belongs to the genus Veltheimia, which contains only one other species, Velthemia capensis. Veltheimia bracteata is commonly referred to as the forest lily, sand onion, or red hot poker (though the term "red hot poker" is also applied to species in the genus Kniphofia). This pendant-shaped plant ranges in color from a yellowish pink to red. It is a winter flowering perennial plant, so is in full bloom when other flowers have withered away. Plants grow to be 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) in height.
Veltheimia bracteata prefers a sheltered position in full sun, with well-drained soil. It tolerates low temperatures, but not freezing. Therefore in temperate zones it needs the protection of glass during the winter months.
In cultivation in the UK It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Veltheimia bracteata is native to the south-eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Veltheimia bracteata 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.
