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Ixia 'Venus'

corn lily 'Venus'

A cormous perennial to 40cm tall, with narrowly linear mid-green leaves. In early spring and summer, wiry stems bear numerous bright pink flowers to 7cm across; the flowers are good for cutting

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0–0.1 metre

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Iridaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: Ixia are cormous perennials with narrowly-linear leaves and colourful, star-shaped flowers carried on wiry stems
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Under glass, plant corms 10-15cm deep, 5-8cm apart in autumn. Grow in peat-free, loam-based potting compost with added leaf mould and sharp sand, in full light, with low to moderate humidity. Water sparingly until flower spikes appear, then water freely and apply high potash liquid fertiliser every 2-3 weeks until foliage begins to die back. Lift corms in autumn and store in dry, frost-free conditions while dormant

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by separating offsets when dormant in late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Bedding
Conservatory and greenhouse
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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