Water Capestar

Spiloxene aquatica

Animal-friendly

Supports monkey beetles

Supports bees

Social features

Fragrant

Habitats

Near water

Soils

Soil: sandy

A small geophytic plant suitable for water gardens and wetlands. Its white, star-shaped flowers with bright yellow centres, make a pretty display and brighten up a winter garden. It was previously known as Spiloxene aquatica. It has 2-7 small,star-shaped, white flowers, with green stripes on the underside of the 3 outer petals. The flowers are suspended on long, slender pedicels and subtended by 2 broad, leaf-like bracts. The flower stalk bends towards the earth as the capsules open, in order to drop their seeds (0.4-1.0 mm in size) directly on the ground, or in water.

Propagation by seed

¨Sow seed in autumn and take care not to sow the fine seed too deeply. Water during the winter-growing period and cease watering during the summer-dormant period. Plants should remain in the seed tray for at least two seasons before transplanting into pots. Plant corms 1-3 cm deep, depending on the size of the corms, in rich but well-drained soil and do not allow them to dry out during the winter months. Seedlings will flower only after the second or third season. Pauridia prefer full sun and will only flower well if they are in this position. They do not tolerate frost.¨

Fynbos Corridor Collaboration