10 Diascia veronicoides Seeds - Twinspurs - Rare Indigenous Evergreen Flowering Perennial

Diascia veronicoides Seeds

South African Indigenous Flowering Perennial

Diascia is a genus of around 70 species of herbaceous annual and perennial flowering plants of the family Scrophulariaceae, native to southern Africa, including South Africa, Lesotho and neighbouring areas. The perennial species are found mainly in summer-rainfall areas such as the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg; about 50 species, mostly annuals, are found in the Western Cape and Namaqualand, winter rainfall areas. Their common name is twinspur, in reference to the two, usually downward-pointing, spurs to be found on the back of the flower. These help to distinguish them from the similar genera Alonsoa and Nemesia. The spurs contain a special oil, which is collected in the wild by bees of the genus Rediviva (e.g. R. longimanus) that appear to have coevolved with the plants, as they have unusually long forelegs for collecting the oil. In gardens, Diascia cultivars have become extremely popular as colourful, floriferous, easily grown bedding plants in recent years.

Purple is a colour not often associated with Diascias, and Diascia veronicoides is rare both in cultivation and in nature where it is indigenous to South Africa. Blooming through the summer months, this Twinspur grows to 60cm high, and slightly less wide. Sweetly complimentary to apricot shades like Alonsoa meridionalis Apricot, or Antirrhinum Double Azalea Apricot, or maybe the cool while flowers of Helipterum Pierrot. Rich soil & average water for best show. Easy!