Family: Hyacinthaceae

Similar to the hyacinth but much taller, these South African bulbous plants are grown for their delightful flower spikes of greenish white, bell-shaped flowers which bloom in summer. Excellent for the back of a border, only two species are regularly seen in cultivation.

Species

G. candicans, summer hyacinth, zone 5, grows up to 1.2 m (4 ft), with leaves up to 1 m (3 ft) long and 5 cm (2 in) wide. The sweetly perfumed, summer flowers are pure white. A beautiful, double, white galtonia named 'Moonbeam' appeared by chance in a New Zealand garden amongst a group of the single G. cauidicans. It produces 30 or more blooms at a time on stems to 1.5 m (5 ft). This cultivar is not freely available outside its country of origin.

G. viridiflora, zone 8, also blooms in summer, with palest green trumpet-shaped flowers.

Cultivation

Plant galtonias in autumn, about 8-10 cm (3-4 in) deep, and try not to disturb them. Grow in a moisture-retentive vet well-drained soil in full sun. If grown in cooler areas, they require a mulch to protect them from winter frost. Propagate from offsets or seed. These plants self-seed but take about three years to reach to a flowering size.

Climate

There are species suited to vairous climatic zones.