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Veltheimia capensis
Also called Cape Sandlily, Sandlily
Quarobe (Veltheimia capensis) is a tender bulbous perennial from the dry Cape region of South Africa, grown for its pendent spikes of tubular pink or white flowers that appear in spring and early summer. Grow it as a drought-tolerant bulb with a dry rest period and protect it from frost.
Veltheimia capensis is one of two species of flowering plants belonging to the genus Veltheimia, of the family Asparagaceae. It is a tender bulbous perennial reaching a height of 46 cm (18 in), with flowers varying in color from white with red spots to pink with green or red markings.
The plant is valued as a drought-resistant ornamental, though with a minimum temperature of 5–7 °C (41–45 °F), in temperate regions it must be grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
V. capensis grows naturally in the dry, arid climate of the northern part of the Western Province in south-western South Africa. Its distribution includes the rocky slopes of Namaqualand and extends through to parts of the Little Karoo.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Veltheimia capensis 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.
