Freesia Double Orange

Freesia Double Orange bears orange double flowers carried by a gracefully arching but relatively sturdy flower stalk. Their soft fragrance is reminiscent of jasmine, but it is slightly less pronounced than that of single-flowered varieties. This small cormous plant is most often grown in a pot, to admire its radiant orange flowers with a yellow throat. It can also be used as an edging plant, like a gladiolus.

Freesias, also known as cape lilies, are native to East Africa, from Kenya to South Africa. They were named by Danish botanist Ecklon in honour of one of his brightest students, Dr. Freese, who was a physician, pharmacist, and botanist. These beautiful plants belong to the Iridaceae family. Their floral stems give them a spreading and highly branched habit.

Freesia Double Orange develops tender green foliage that is very upright and shaped like a sharp-pointed sword. The leaves and flower stalks reach the same height, about 40cm (16in). The inflorescence develops from May to July, depending on the planting date of the bulbs. It grows at the end of a flower stalk with a convex habit. This flowering consists of 8 to 10 flowers, 3 to 4cm (1 to 2in) in size, arranged on the same side of the flower stem. They are actinomorphic, meaning radially symmetrical. Each plant will produce 4 to 5 flower stalks. Freesias are often referred to as bulbous plants. More precisely, it is a corm, an underground organ that stores nutrients for the plant. Unlike true bulbs, the corm exhausts all of its reserves during each seasonal cycle and is replaced each time by a new one. These corms are conical and measure about 1 to 2cm (1in) at its base. They should be planted with the apex facing upwards at a depth of 5cm (2in). This will make it easier for the new shoots to emerge. The foliage is deciduous. It dries up and disappears after flowering. The plant then enters dormancy in dry soil.

Freesias are frost-sensitive and cannot tolerate temperatures below -5°C (23°F). If you want to grow them in open ground, make sure that the last frosts have passed before planting. Plant them in a sunny location. They prefer moist, well-drained sandy to rocky soils. They do not appreciate limestone. They can be planted with orange, yellow, or red crocosmia in rockeries or border plantings. Whether in the ground or in a pot, they can be combined with other elegant plants.

Freesias are perfect in elaborate floral arrangements. Once the first flowers have bloomed, you can prune the floral stem and keep the flowers fresh for about three weeks.