Freesia alba

In old California Gardens you will find this treasure by following your nose. Not to be confused with modern white hybrids, these incredibly fragrant flowers will perfume an entire home or garden. Rarely Available. Bulbs are blooming size but naturally very small (pea size).

This is the original, blissfully fragrant, wild white freesia that naturalizes happily in Mediterranean climates with mild, dry summers. It's also "entirely at home in the South, returning faithfully," says Scott Ogden in Garden Bulbs for the South, so expert gardeners may want to try it there, too. Smaller than modern forms, 6-12", zones 8b(8-10bWC)

Exquisitely fragrant! Freesia alba caused a sensation when introduced into cultivation in 1878. Along with Freesia leichteinii, Freesia alba was then used as a parent for the commonly available modern hybrids, but sadly the original fabulous fragrance was greatly diminished. Now you can enjoy this deliciously sweetest of all Freesia species. So easy to grow, and a prolific bloomer Freesias grow during the Fall-Winter season and bloom in Spring. The 1” long blooms are white, often with a purple flush and a yellow mark on the lowest petal. The blooms are held 2-8 per stem and the whole plant reaches to 12” tall and will form a clump about 2’ across. Dormant in summer, they like to go dry but don’t mind a little water now and then. Self sows! From S. Africa.Hardy to 20 degrees.