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Hypoxidaceae FAMILY

Hypoxis hygrometrica

Hypoxis hygrometrica

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

Plant contains calcium oxalate crystals and can cause mild irritation to the throat if eaten[1]. Thorough cooking destroys the toxin. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet[2].

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Hypoxis species are generally not very cold tolerant plants and most species are badly damaged or killed by even light frosts. They will usually grow well in a Mediterranean type of climate with little or no frost[3]. This species is known to tolerate occasional, short-lived frosts with temperatures falling as low as about -5°c, succeeding outdoors only in the mildest and sunniest parts of the temperate zone[3]. Species in this genus generally require a light, freely draining soil and a position in full sun or light shade[3]. Hypoxis species greatly resent root disturbance, plants should be placed in their permanent positions as soon as possible and left ndisturbed for as long as possible[3].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of off-sets in spring or early autumn. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hypoxis+hygrometrica>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Wild Food in Australia. — Cribb. A. B. and J. W. · Fontana · 1976 · ISBN 0-00-634436-4 ↩︎A very good pocket guide.
  2. [2]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Aboriginal Plant Use - NSW Southern Tablelands — https://www.anbg.gov.au/apu/index.html ↩︎A website produced by the Australian National Botanic Garden giving information on the traditional uses of more than 80 species of plant
  5. [5]Wild Food Plants of Australia. — Low. T. · Angus and Robertson. · 1989 · ISBN 0-207-14383-8 ↩︎Well presented, clear information and good photographs. An interesting read for the casual reader as well as the enthusiast
  6. [6]Flora of Australia — http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ ↩︎The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.