Sunday, April 18, 2010

Backyard Bouquet


Updated below

There are enough flowers blooming in the backyard to allow for bouquet making: nothing fancy, just a simple nosegay to commemorate a friend's birthday or brighten a convalescence. I really should try to find out what the striking red and yellow mystery flowers might be. . . . .

Update 4/19/10: A generous commenter (or commenters) has supplied a name for the mystery blooms. (Thank you, Three Sisters!) They are Harlequin flowers or Sparaxis tricolor. Having a name enables an internet search so I was able to learn that they are prolific, drought-resistant South African natives in the Iris family. They come in many different bright and showy colors and usually have yellow centers. Here is a photo of the variety that grows in our yard.

2 comments:

Manda said...

Those mystery flowers are called Harlequin flowers/Sparaxis tricolor. I've got some too, they're so cheery :)

BB said...

Thanks so much for the identification! There's nothing like knowing a name to take the guesswork out of working with a plant.