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Moraea polystachya (Peacock Flower) - A cormous geophyte (bulb-like) perennial with 2-4 narrow leaves that wrap the stem at the base and twist and lay towards the tapering tip. The flower stalks, which appear in Southern California from fall until spring, rise to 12-18 inches high and bear violet to pale blue iris-like flowers with yellow centers (nectar guides on the outer tepals). These flowers individually only last a day, but each stalk can produce a succession of blooms which may last 6 to 8 weeks. After flowering the plant produces abundant seed which can spread around the garden (some consider this beautiful plant a pest !).
This plant grows best in well-drained soils in full sun. It tolerates occasional summer water but best without it and is cold hardy to 20-25° F - may be hardier but will bloom later in season in cooler locations.
Moraea polystachya grows naturally in Namibia and the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and North West provinces of South Africa. It was first described as Iris polystachya by the Sweed Carl Peter Thunberg, considered to be the father of Cape botany, in 1782 from a collection he had made in the Eastern Cape but it was transferred to the genus Moraea by the English botanist John Bellenden Ker in 1804. The genus name honors the English botanist Robert More. The specific epithet is the combination of the Latin words 'poly' meaning many and 'stachys' meaning stems for the branched inflorescence. Other common names for this plant include Blue Moraea, Blue Tulp and the name Poison Moraea because it was dangerous to grazing livestock.
We grew this great plant from 2003 until 2007 and would have continued but it never was a great container plant so mostly only sold to customers who knew what it could look like in the garden.
The information about Moraea polystachya that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.
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