Tricolor Harlequin Flower

Sparaxis tricolor

Sparaxis tricolor is a bulb plant that is so common in some areas of native grassland, it can be confused for a native plant, but has in fact escaped from gardens and is native to South Africa. Sparaxis also grows well in disturbed areas and along roadsides.

It has a lovely tri-colour flower - orange, red, yellow, pink with blotches of other colours and black nearer the centre. As can be seen from the photos it has a large colour range and patterning. Sparaxis has erect leaves sprouting up from ground level in a fan shape, with a flower stem that has a rigid bend between each flower.

Removal is by hand pulling (but be sure to remove the bulb too), or by spot spraying or wiping the leaves with poison before they flower. In badly infested areas the task may well be daunting, as the infestations can be very dense. However it is worth tackling as Sparaxis will crowd out small native plants.

Photographs David Jones