Fortnight Lily
Dietes bicolor
Item #6159 USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 - 10
Attractive, light yellow iris-like flowers with vivid maroon blotches loom on stiff stalks over neat clumps. Useful in rock gardens, near swimming pools. Fire resistant. Reliable evergreen perennial.
Add to FavoritesLight Needs:
Full sun
Watering Needs:
Once established, needs only occasional watering.
Average Landscape Size:
Moderate grower to 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide clumps.
Key Feature:
Easy Care Plant
Blooms:
Spring through fall
Botanical Pronunciation:mor-EE-a BY-ko-lor
Plant type:Perennial
Deciduous/evergreen:Evergreen
Growth rate:Moderate
Average landscape size:Moderate grower to 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide clumps.
Special features:Easy Care, Improved Pest and Disease Resistance
Foliage color:Green
Blooms:Spring through fall
Flower color:Yellow
Flower attributesShowy Flowers
Design IdeasThe flowers of Fortnight Lily glow in the dark and look exotic in tropical gardens--despite the plant's tolerance of a hard frost. It is one of the best all-purpose plants for beds and borders, where it functions a lot like an Iris, but with a much longer bloom period. This plant is equally at home in Asian-garden schemes, where it is grown beside koy ponds or streambeds as a flowering reed. With its drought-resistance, it is commonly used in dryland gardens throughout the Southwest, where it takes inland heat in stride. Grow as a low hedge, partition, or simply plant in big pots on a balcony or porch.
Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Control weeds until the plants have filled in. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer.Light Needs:
Full sun
Watering Needs:
Once established, needs only occasional watering.
There are very few rules in gardening, but perhaps the most important one is to work within your zone. Choosing plants that grow and thrive in your particular climate is the very first step toward having a beautiful garden.
