THE AFRICAN GARDEN

Freesia (Anomatheca Group)

Descriptions with Images

Freesia laxa syn. Lapeirousia cruenta and Anomatheca laxa
Variable in colour in the wild with salmons, pinks, whites and reds occuring naturally. These also naturalise and will produce plants similar to the hybrid below, Joan Evans. The species occur both in the summer and winter rainfall areas of South Africa, thus in the northern hemisphere the species can be grown under glass for flowering in May or in the garden for flowering from late June. This species can also be grown as an annual as it can flower from seed in just 5-6 months, and because of this it is now being grow commercially in large amounts and is frequently seen offered in Garden Centres in the UK. But it is also grown in colder climates, and in places such as Canada, as an annual. Here I let it seed and naturalise itself throughout the garden.

Freesia laxa 'Joan Evans'
White with red markings, hybrid of F. laxa with laxa 'Alba'; this plant is also circulating erroneously as Anomatheca divaricata, which is non-legit, and the implied Laperousia divaricata is completely different. If selfed and grown from seed, plants produced are variable in marking, and the red markings can be smaller and less pronounced.

Freesia laxa subsp. azurea
Pale lilac blue form, flowers earlier, but slightly weaker than the rest for some
reason. Best treated as a greenhouse plant in the UK, less hardy than F. laxa.

Freesia laxa 'Alba'
Pure white form of the species, no markings. For me here I consider it less hardy than F. laxa.

Freesia laxa 'Rainbow Hybrids'
Bred by Don Rix, Pine Heights Hippy's, Queensland, Australia. Shorter plants
than the UK strain but these don't bleach much in the sun. Colours range from plants like Joan Evans to a really nice pale pink. Recommended garden plant for climates a little warmer than mine.

Freesia laxa 'Sunset Boulevard'
Bred by David Fenwick. A pure pink form of laxa, bred here by crossing Freesia laxa with F. l. 'Joan Evans', as hardy as laxa here.

Freesia laxa 'Star of David'
A hybrid 'found' in the garden here, I also frequently see it being offered elsewhere as F. or A. laxa. It is a pinky red form of laxa, a dwarfer plant with starry, bi-symmetrical flowers. It is also quite hardy here.

Freesia 'Naticoke' (laxa x grandiflora)
Origin Unknown. Potentially an inter-specific hybrid between F. laxa and F. grandiflora, has intermediate features from both parents. Early to flower, and at the same time as Freesia laxa subsp. azurea. Flowers, of a pinky-lilac with deep purple markings.

Freesia 'Plum Scrumptious' (laxa x grandiflora) x laxa
Bred by David Fenwick. Bred here of 'Naticoke' and Freesia laxa subsp. azurea parentage, a white with pink tips with plum markings.

Freesia 'East of Eden' ((laxa x grandiflora) x laxa 'Plum Scrumptious') x laxa 
Bred by David Fenwick. A completely new colour for a F. laxa backcross. Lilac flowers, bred here three years ago.

Freesia laxa 'Shelly' (F. 'East of Eden' x F. 'East of Eden')
Bred by David Fenwick. A very large white, probably the largest flowered Anomatheca, with rose markings. Named after a friend of the family, Shelly Driscoll, who is a very large, single lady, who readily blushes.

Freesia viridis
A winter rainfall species producing larger much rounder corms than F. laxa, bearing spidery yellowy-green flowers in late spring.

Freesia viridis var. crispa
Very similar to the above but with undulating leaf margins.

Freesia grandiflora
The only summer rainfall species of the Anomatheca Group, producing larger red flowers about the size of a two pence piece, flowers in July here.

Freesia laxa (cream form) bred by Phil Waterman, Plymouth, Devon, UK.
Cream form of the species, no markings.

Freesia laxa 'Sunset Giant Pink'
Bred by David Fenwick. Sadly now lost but this was another cross from Freesia laxa with F. l. 'Joan Evans', but has to be mentioned here for the plant was over 2 feet tall.