Hessea

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This is a small genus, related to Strumaria and more distantly to both Nerine and Gethyllis. The dozen or so species are spread across southern African from the Cape to Namibia.

It is a deciduous genus which dies away totally in summer, when it should be warm and dry. By and large Hessea do not tolerate summer water, when they are dormant. Dry storage, without desiccating them, is needed. They re-emerge in early autumn with narrow deciduous foliage which lasts until after flowering. This is in spring, after which the whole plant dies away again to a small bulb.

They need a well-drained, sandy, compost and are best grown in pot culture under glass. The naturally small bulbs can be crowded in small containers if wished. Not frost hardy.

Available for ordering from Spring and Autumn lists.

Hessea stellaris

A gorgeous species and the first one to be described in the genus in 1837.

This makes a loose umbel of flowers in the shape of a perfect hemisphere, each bloom in the head being held on a comparatively long flower stem.

The flowers are perfect little six petalled stars in pale to mid pink, with a darker base and exerted anthers giving a delicate "halo" effect to the blooms. Propagated from an especially floriferous, well coloured population seed of which came from near van Rhynsdorp in southern Namaqualand.

Well-drained sandy compost, with feeding when they are watered (which should not be too often) and then dry in summer. Hemispheres of flowers, like hovering spaceships, can be expected, after re-watering, in late autumn and early winter.


Hessea stellarishessteste	£18.50