Hesperantha coccinea ‘Major’

The scarlet river lily is a really great garden plant, giving very long lasting colour into late autumn. It rarely succumbs to pest or disease, withstands wind and rain and, if the beautiful red flowers are frosted, the spires of buds carry on blooming on stems held above clumps of sword-shaped leaves which are semi-evergreen.

Formerly known as Schizostylis, a genus with just the one species, coccinea, this was moved to the Hesperantha genus of about 80 species which all grow from corms. Only H. coccinea grows from spreading rhizomes. It is in the iris family and native to South Africa, growing along moist riverbanks of the Drakensberg, up to 8,000 ft (2,500m).

First noted by Linnaeus in 1793. Holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

In the Gardens it grows in a few spots including the Mixed Borders above the fountain. A little further up the border another cultivar, pink H. ‘Sunrise’ can be found.