How are your gerbil-pollinated plants doing this winter? Ours is doing just fine. The flowers of this hedgehog lily, Massonia depressa, were unfazed by several nights down in the high teens here at Juniper Level Botanic Garden and has survived 5 previous winters as well. It is a bulbous plant native to South Africa where it is dormant through the hot dry summers and winter-growing and blooming. I first noticed its foliage when its neighbor Iris planifolia was blooming on December 12, 2023. Soon a marble sized bud appeared between the two leaves. And today I noticed that it had started blooming. The cup shaped flowers hold a yeasty smelling nectar that gerbils drink and in the process end up with their heads dusted with pollen which ends up being transferred to the next flower. Hedgehog lily has the specific epithet of “depressa” because its 4″ long leaves lay flat on the ground. It is in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae, one of the divisions of the Lily family, Liliaceae, when the lily family was sliced and diced. Its relatives in the asparagus family include Agave, Yucca, Aspidistra, Hosta, Scilla and so many more genera.
I acquired a small M. depressa bulb over a year ago, in 2023. It is potted in clay and successfully re-emerged from dormancy (yay) earlier in the Spring this year. One characteristic surprises me: the leaves grow large but very upright, never “relaxing” to lie flat. Too, both growing cycles produced a bud that never opened.
While actively growing, I water when the leaf wilts ever so slightly. My M. pustulata seems to be more in keeping with what I will call “the norma.” Hey, 1 outta 2 ain’t bad? But I would be greatly appreciative of any advise you can give re: soil mix, light (foot candles?), watering, feeding etc. There is precious little on the Internet regarding their needs. Thank you!
Since we only grow them in the ground, I can’t comment on container culture. The amount of light shouldn’t be a reason for the foliage to grow upright. Perhaps, it is actually one of the species with upright foliage. The leaf is quite succulent, so if you’re letting it get dry enough to wilt, that’s probably killing the developing flower bud. Try more moisture during the growing season. The Pacific Bulb Society has a lovely gallery of images of the species. https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Massonia