Raphionacme utilis

Cultivation Details

A plant of the semi-arid tropics. It grows in areas where the dry season is about 7 months long and mists occur at other times of the year^[1].. Requires a sunny position. The roots should not be buried too deeply, only enough to bring the stem end to the surface of the ground. Grows naturally in a moisture-retentive, deep and very sandy loam of finely divided, clean black earth^[1]. The structure and habits of growth indicate that the plant behaves in nature as an extreme desert type able to survive with very little water and requiring several years to reach maturity. Temporary roots appear to be sent out from any part of the permanent root.