Indigenous Spring Beauty Nemesias

Spring flowers the world over have a softness and beauty that captures the spirit of the season itself. Our indigenous spring flowers are no exception, especially the trio of nemesia, diascia and bacopa, which are still wild at heart.

- Alice Spenser-Higgs

Even though they have been successfully ‘domesticated’ with larger blooms and a wider color range, nemesias, diascias and bacopas retain the dainty charm of veld flowers.

Of the three, Nemesia fruticans is the most ethereal, and is only found in South Africa. It produces masses of tiny, snapdragon-like flowers on long, slender stems, and when in full flower the leaves are almost obscured. What makes the flowers stand out are the bright yellow protuberances in the throat. While the original colors are mauve, pink and white, the newer hybrids are available in a range of vibrant colors including magenta, burgundy, dark blue, yellow and orange.

Nemesia fruticans hybrids are fuller, bushier plants than the species, developing into mounded upright plants with larger flowers and glossy green leaves. In cooler gardens, they may flower from September through summer and even into autumn.