Aristea is a genus of evergreen rhizomatous perennials in the Iridaceae family found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Most are rarely grown although Aristea ecklonii is a common garden plant.
Aristea abyssinica is found from the Eastern Cape, South Africa to Tropical Africa where it grows in on rocky outcrops, in grassland, and marshy areas. It has narrow leaves clustered at the base and sky blue, violet, deep red, or pink flowers. Photo taken by Cameron McMaster in the Eastern Cape.
Aristea africana is an evergreen short plant with blue flowers and a style with three fringed lobes. It is found on sandy flats and mountain slopes in the winter rainfall area of South Africa. The first photo was taken by Mary Sue Ittner September 2006 near Bainskloof and the second was taken by Cameron McMaster near Napier in the Overberg. The 3rd & 4th photos were contributed by the UC Botanical Garden.
Aristea bakeri syn. Aristea confusa is an evergreen rhizomatous plant found on stony sandstone slopes in the Cape province of South Africa. It can get to 1 meter high, but this plant grown from Silverhill Seed and blooming for the first time in Northern California in May-June 2004 is much shorter. The flowers are short-lived (not even all day), blue, but many are produced. Since I've found growing many species from seed to be a challenge, I am thrilled to have one survive and bloom. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner
Aristea biflora is native to the southwest Cape of South Africa. It has large lilac to purple flowers with transparent to translucent bronze windows on the lower margins. These pictures were taken September 2003 near Caledon by Bob Rutemoeller.
Aristea capitata syn. Aristea major is an evergreen rhizomatous species that grows up to 1.5 meters high. It is a very striking species with many blue flowers on the flowering spike. It occurs over a wide range of the Cape growing on mountain slopes and blooming spring to summer. The first photo was taken by Cameron McMaster in the southern Cape. The next pictures were taken by Mary Sue Ittner of plants growing in her northern California garden and blooming finally after many years. The first one shows the forming flowering stalk and other pictures show the flowers that opened for a short time over a long period.
Aristea cantharophila grows on clay and granite slopes in fynbos or renosterveld in the southwest Cape. These pictures were taken near Paarl in September 2003 by Bob Rutemoeller. Flowers are lilac to cream with a dark center.
Aristea ecklonii is a summer rainfall Aristea. It grows on forest margins, streambanks, grassland, scrub from the Eastern Cape to Tanzania. It has basal leaves in a fan and mauve-blue flowers. It flowers early in the morning and the flowers fade by afternoon, but it can bloom off and on throughout the year and the color of the flowers is quite striking. When grown in a well watered garden attention to removing seedheads is important or you'll have a lot of seedlings in your garden. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Aristea lugens grows on low granitic hills in renosterveld in the southwest Cape, South Africa. Plants are evergreen and rhizomatous with striking pale blue to white flowers with dark blue-black outer tepals. Photos taken near Brackenfell August 2006 by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner in an area that had burned earlier.
Aristea oligocephala is found on sandstone slopes from the Hottentots Holland Mountains to Bredasdorp (South Africa.) Flowers are blue and the style has three fringed lobes. Photo taken near Napier in the Overberg by Cameron McMaster.
Aristea schizolaena is an evergreen rhizomatous species that grows in coastal grassland in the southeastern regions of the Cape. It grows to 80 cm high and has blue flowers. Photos by Cameron McMaster taken in the Eastern Cape.
Aristea spiralis is found growing on rocky sandstone and granite slopes from the Cape peninsula to Kynsna (South Africa.) Flowers face to the side and are white or pale blue. The first two photos were taken by Bob Rutemoeller taken near Paarl September 2003 and the next two by Mary Sue Ittner of the leaves and flowers of a plant blooming for the first time in her California garden. The last picture was taken by Cameron McMaster near Fairfield in the Overberg.
Aristea teretifolia grows in the southwest Cape on low clay hills in renosterveld. Flowers are large, lilac to cream. Tepals are unequal; the inner has a large dark mark toward the base. The first picture was taken September 2003 near Boskloof by Bob Rutemoeller and the second one near Napier in the Overberg by Cameron McMaster.
