Rhodohypoxis Fairytale

The Rhodohypoxis 'Fairytale' is a charming little ground-covering plant with numerous bright pink flowers from late spring to autumn. Vigorous but not very hardy, it will be perfect in a rockery under mild climates, in non-limestone soil, or in a pot, but always in a well-drained substrate.

The cultivar 'Fairytale' is the result of hybridization between a Rhodohypoxis and a Hypoxis. That's why it is often also called Rhodoxis 'Fairytale'. These plants belong to the small family of Hypoxidaceae, which is mainly found in the Southern Hemisphere. Rhodohypoxis are plants with small fleshy rhizomes, which form lovely, highly flowering small tufts. The Rhodohypoxis Fairytale, unlike the wild species, quickly forms a dense and vigorous carpet, about 15 cm (6in) tall and 30 cm (12in) in diameter. Its small star-shaped, raspberry-pink to purple-pink flowers appear in masses from May to October, almost making the slender, silky-haired leaves disappear. After flowering, the tuft completely disappears until the following spring.

Native to the meadows of South Africa, where summers are hot and rainy, but winters are dry, rhodohypoxis are rather sensitive to the cold. Therefore, you cannot leave them outside all year round, unless you live in a mild climate where winters do not drop below -6 to -8°C (21.2 to 17.6°F). Their hardiness will be better with perfect drainage; excess water in winter will cause the rotting of the fleshy underground parts. Offer them a sandy substrate, preferably acidic (at least non-limestone) and fairly rich, in order to enjoy their presence for a long time. In less mild regions, it will nevertheless be easy to grow them in pots, in order to bring them indoors during the cold season - always with excellent drainage and watering sparingly. They will then need to be divided and repotted regularly.

Whether outside or in pots, in rockeries or borders, the Rhodohypoxis Fairytale will find its place alongside, for example, dwarf agapanthus such as 'Double Diamond' or 'Golden Drop', Eucomis Freckles, or even evergreen Armeria juniperifolia which will provide winter presence. Other bulbs, such as muscari or early Iris reticulata, will extend the flowering period.