Tommymoo's Garden
Leopard Lily
Species: Ledebouria socialis.
14 April 2012, from eBay 1.90 + pp1.60 = 3.50
Family: Hyacinthaceae (formerly Liliaceae) Bluebell family
Plant group: Succulents
Origin: It is native to South Africa.
Habitat: Grows in arid savanna in summer-rainfall regions, this species has mottled (ぶち、しみだらけの) leaves enabling it to blend into its thicket backdrop.
Common names: Silver Squill, Bluebell, South African Scilla, Leopard Lily, Violet Squill.
Synonyms:
Scilla socialis Baker
Scilla paucifolia Baker
Scilla violacea Hutch
Minimal temperature: 6°C (42°F)
Optimal temperature: 20-22°C (68-71°F)
Recommended place: sunny
Soil: humus-peat-sandy
Plant form: terrestrial (陸生の←水生、空生の生物に対して）bulb
Height: 20 cm (7.8 in.)
Flower color: green scarlet
Propagation: by division at any time of the year.
Description: Small evergreen perennial bulbs in thick clusters that survive drought as effectively as any succulent.
Bulb: Teardrop-shaped, green to purple, clothed in peeling, papery tunics that prevent water loss, 2-4 cm centimetres in diameter that necks above soil, it will soon cluster.
Leaves: Lance-shaped, strap-like, 10-15 cm long and 2 cm wide, upright, fleshy, light silvery green, and basal with dark-green, turquoise, olive or aquamarine markings above and wine-red to purple beneath.
Flowers: Forms racemes (総状花序) of bell-shaped flowers. They are showy, greenish purple-pink with a small pink stripe running down each petal, can be up to 20+ flowers on each spike.
Blooming season: Spring and summer.
Cultivation: Easy to care. It needs full sun to partial shade with a well-drained soil mix. Let it dry completely between waterings. Feed monthly with 50% strength soluble (水溶性の) house plant food when it is actively growing. Hardy down to freezing so best kept in a frost free place indoors and can be grown outside where there is no danger of frost. Bulbs at the base of the plant must be above the soil. It is very happy sitting in window sill too.
