Bessara elegans

Bessara elegans, Coral Drops, is a herbaceous geophyte with a wide geographical range across southern and Central Mexico. It has long linear foliage and in late summer to early autumn it produces what are some of the most gorgeous flowers it is possible to grow in the UK. The are delicate, bell-shaped and scarlet-orange and hang down in an umbel from a tall scape in a way that makes it quite difficult to see the underside of the flower - which is undoubtedly the most beautiful view. By getting down at a low angle you will see the striking pale orange patterning on the petals, the darker mid-stripe and the extraordinary green pollen and contrasting purple pistil.

Not fully hardy outdoors in most parts of the UK, Bessara elegans is best treated like other half-hardy geophytes, digging up the corms and planting them again in mid to late spring when the worst of the cold weather has passed. If you garden in a warm micro-climate that is also fairly dry in winter you may like to try them outdoors, planting in a well-drained substrate with plenty of sand and perlite added to the mix and covering with a generous layer of fine-textured bark mulch.

They are also effective planted in tall containers where the height of the pot will make it easier to appreciate the undersides of the pendant flowers.