Plant Care for a Trimezia
Trimezia (Neomarica Longifolia) is commonly known as the Yellow Walking Iris. It is a tropical perennial native to Central and South America, and the West Indies. Trimezia is easy to grow and does well in borders or beds. It is also grown as an outdoor container plant. Because of its low light requirements, Trimezia is commonly grown as a houseplant as well.
-
Characteristics
-
Trimezia is in the Iris family. It will grow to 4 feet tall. Like many irises, Trimezia has long, blade-shaped, bright green leaves. Its blooms resemble orchids, and are bright yellow with brown dots near the center. Each bloom only lives for a day or less, but it blooms continually throughout most of the year. A Trimezia begins blooming when it is about 2 years old, but a pot-bound Trimezia will begin blooming earlier.
Care
-
Trimezia requires very-well draining, sandy soil. It should be planted in a clay pot to help with drainage and aeration. Plant Trimezia 18 inches apart to allow for spread. Plant deep enough so that 2 inches of the stem is buried. Whether planted indoors or outside, Trimezia does best in a warm environment. This plant loves humidity. It will grow strongest during the summer months, with growth slowing down during the winter. Trimezia needs partial to full shade. Never plant Trimezia where it will be subjected to direct sunlight. Trimezia is not frost-tolerant, and should either be brought inside or mulched over during freezing temperatures. It has medium watering requirements, so water often enough that soil does not dry out. Trimezia needs light fertilizing, only once a month during the spring and summer seasons. Use a 10-10-10 fertilizer for outdoor plants and a houseplant fertilizer for indoor plants. Trimezia can even be grown in a glass of water, but may not bloom or develop plantlets.
Propagation
-
Trimezia is self-propagating. After the last blooms of the season fade, small plantlets will grow next to the spent blooms. The plantlet stem will droop down to the ground, and the plantlet will root and become a new plant. This process is where Trimezia gets its "walking" name, and Trimezias can end up spreading out far from the original plant. The rooted plantlets can be dug up at anytime and moved to a new location. To propagate container or indoor plants, wait until the plantlet is 6 inches long. Snip it with sharp shears, then insert into moist potting mix. New Trimezias can be grown this way indefinitely.
-
