WHAT ARE TIGRIDIAS? 
IGRIDIA is a species of Iris—a distant cousin—half-hardy bulb 
whose ancestral home is Old Mexico. It is said that a roving 
botanist discovered the first Tigridias growing on a high plateau in 
that country about the year 1790. They had become almost extinct, 
having been dug for food by the Indians of that locality. 
Several varieties of Tigridia Pavonia (red) are said to have been in- 
troduced about 1796, while in 1824 Tigridia Conchiflora (yellow) was 
introduced direct from its South American home. From that time to 
the present, many varieties have been introduced, the most notable of 
which is Tigridia Pavonia Grandiflora and its hybrids. Very little 
information has been written regarding this gorgeous flower, probably 
because most of the crossing and hybridization was performed either 
by amateur gardeners, or as a hobby by commercial growers and 
botanists. From this latter family of Grandiflora we have, after many 
years of crossing developed our strain of Wilson’s Improved Tigridias. 
The gorgeous blossoms of Tigridia bring into the garden something 
of the splendor of the tropics. Three silken petals, richly colored in 
various shades of scarlet, rose, yellow, orange or white, surround a 
curlously spotted cup of contrasting maroon or blood red. Some varie- 
ties now have cups entirely without spots, and are very much in demand. 
A red-hot, triple-spronged stamen darts several inches high from the 
very center of the cup. This barbaric flower is likened to the flaming 
passion of the tiger, whence the common name, Tiger Flower. Blossoms 
six to seven inches in diameter (in our Improved strain) unfurl from 
within a long, green-hooded bud. Unlike any other bulbous plant it 
does not limit itself to a sing'e bloom per bulb, but instead develops 
abundant clusters of buds which one after the other eagerly replace 
those whose single day’s flowering lifetime has passed. For one cluster 
of Tigridia bulbs to bear as many as ten to twenty fragile blooms at 
one time is not in the least uncommon. 
Tigridia grows thickly and spreads its foliage wide, so that little if 
any bare earth is exposed between the plants. Irregular massings 
against shrubbery backgrounds are both unusual and distinctive, pro- 
vided sufficient distance has been allowed to give them full benefit of 
the sunshine. Tigridias can be used with amazing effect among large 
plantings of roses. However, in either beds or border, Tigridia is well 
worth cultivating, for with the observance ofa few simple cultural rules 
a rich display for the summer garden 1s assured. 
