Members of the Tritonia genus are hardy bulbs that are sometimes treated as annuals by gardeners.
They range from 15 to 60 cm (6 to 24 inches)in height.
Tritonia blooms in the middle of summer, when they carry red, orange, yellow, pink or white funnel shaped flowers.
The foliage is sword shaped and flat.
Some common names for members of Tritonia are Blazing Star, Flame Freesia, and Montbretia.
Tritonia lineata by Tony Rodd; Creative Commons.
Tritonia crocata by Eric in SF; Creative Commons.
Common Names: Flame Freesia, Lined Tritonia, Blazing Star, Montbretia.
Life Cycle: Bulb commonly grown as an annual by gardeners.
Height: 4 to 24 inches (10 to 60 cm).
Native: Southern Africa.
Growing Region: Zones 3 to 10. As a perennial in zones 7 to 10.
Blazing Star and other Tritonia species can be grown from seeds or corms.
The Corms should be buried in the autumn at about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) deep with a spacing of 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches).
Tritonia Seeds should be sown in spring and lightly covered. Ideally it is best to grow Blazing star in a sunny part of the garden. This requires good drainage and a sandy soil that has had manure added to it.
It should take about three years for Blazing stars that have been sown from seeds to flower.
If you want to start Blazing star off indoors then do so about two months in advance.
They can be transplanted outdoors just after the last frost of spring.
Germination of Blazing stars and other Tritonia takes from one to three months at a temperature of 12 to 15 degrees centigrade (54 to 59°F).
It takes a little (not much) effort to look after Tritonia plants such as Blazing star, Flame Freesia and Montbretia.
Provide them a good mulch in the winter to protect them from the elements. They should be fed once during the growing season and watered regularly.
Once they have flowered they do not require watering. If you require more Tritonia plants then plant the offsets that they readily produce.
I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Tritonia plants. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's HQ growing guides: How to grow Lapeirousia and Acidanthera plants.