Nerine filifolia – Grass-Leaved Nerine
Long lasting, dainty, brilliant pink flowers with wavy edged petals rise above thread-like evergreen leaves.
Habit:
Flowers about 3cm across, half the size of standard Nerine flowers, with the traditional Nerine structure, rise above grass-like foliage. This is one of those “little treasures” that brightens up even the smallest garden in Autumn. It bulks up readily and I have seen it written that in the wild it forms “large colonies in shallow depressions in heavy clay soils on exposed rock slabs”. Clearly this miniature delight is tougher than it appears.
Origins:
Nerine filifolia is endemic to the Eastern Cape in South Africa, where it is not harmed by being innundated by summer rainfall. It is not threatened in the wild. It should be distinguished from N. masoniorum which has smaller flowers that are not the same shocking shade of pink.
Soil / Aspect:
Nerines require reasonable drainage, though this one seems to be more tolerant of intermittent water-logging than most, and are often found in rocky and even arid areas in the wild. However, such wild populations also receive summer rainfall. So in Karin’s Garden this is a bulb that will appreciate watering during summer dry spells. They can tolerate some shade, but to flower at their best they really prefer full sun, like their Amaryllis cousins.
Maintenance:
This plant suffers from no discernible pests or diseases. Once established this is really a very rewarding plant. Just do not let it become swamped by neighbouring herbaceous perennials. It will produce bulb offsets in a few years, and this one does not seem to become congested. Once it has bulked up it can be lifted and pulled apart to generate new plants, though the replanted bulbs will take a couple of years to settle back in.