Bessera elegans

Nodding bell-shaped coral-red flowers on 18 inch wiry stems bloom in summer and fall. The stamens are orange and protruding, the anthers light green, and the pistil purple! And they have interesting striped interior markings. Elegant it is. Native to Texas and Mexican mountainous regions (in Mexico at circa 9,000', at the ecotone between oak forest and deciduous jungle). Plant when temperatures are warm, and under an eave so it remains drier in winter. It does appreciate some summer water, though. We think it will be well worth its specific requirements. Minimum temperature: 10°F

A much sought after plant with a small crocus-like corm and a tall wiry stem that is crowned with up to 30 bright scarlet or scarlet-orange flowers, in which the petals are flared outwards or reflexed backwards. To compare it with a cyclamen would be to insult Bessera, but the swept-up flower has its similarities. A rare native of Mexico, little known in the wild and seldom seen in cultivation, these are superb corms, perfectly capable of flowering, although in Bessera the flowers are made in the season of current growth, so bloom is up to you! Needs freedom from frost and a totally dry winter, with warmish winter storage in colder areas. Also excellent indor container plant. 18"-24"; Zones 8-11