Ixia Yellow Emperor

Radiant, cheerful and wonderfully free-flowering, Ixia 'Yellow Emperor' produces elegant sprays of brilliant golden-yellow, star-shaped flowers that bring warmth and sunshine to the early summer garden. Each bloom is beautifully centred with a contrasting dark mahogany to black eye, creating a striking display that catches the light and draws the eye from across the border.

Native to the sunlit grasslands of South Africa, Ixias are affectionately known as African Corn Lilies and are admired for their graceful habit, vivid colours and outstanding performance as cut flowers. 'Yellow Emperor' is one of the finest yellow cultivars, producing numerous flowers on slender, wiry stems that sway gently in the breeze, lending movement and elegance to the garden.

The blooms open fully in bright sunshine and close again as evening falls or during dull weather, making each sunny day a spectacle. Rich in nectar, they are highly attractive to bees and other pollinating insects and combine beautifully with blue salvias, purple alliums, ornamental grasses and other summer-flowering perennials.

Perfect for sunny borders, gravel gardens, containers and cutting gardens, Ixia 'Yellow Emperor' thrives in warm, free-draining conditions and rewards gardeners with weeks of dazzling colour.

A magnificent South African bulb that brings brilliant golden flowers, graceful movement and effortless summer elegance to the garden.

Planting Instructions

When to Plant:

Plant Ixia corms in spring after the risk of hard frost has passed, usually from March to May. In milder parts of the UK with free-draining soil, they may also be planted in autumn.

Where to Plant:
Choose a warm, sunny, sheltered position with light, fertile, free-draining soil. Ixia thrives in borders, gravel gardens, raised beds and containers where drainage is excellent.

How to Plant:

• Depth: Plant corms approximately 5–8 cm (2–3 inches) deep.
• Spacing: Space corms about 8–10 cm (3–4 inches) apart.
• Soil Prep: Incorporate compost into the soil and add grit or sharp sand if drainage is poor.

Watering:
Water well after planting to settle the soil. Keep the soil lightly moist while plants are actively growing, but avoid waterlogging.

Aftercare Tips:

• Remove spent flowers to prolong the display.
• Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering.
• In colder areas or heavy soils, lift the corms after the foliage has died down and store them in a cool, dry, frost-free place until replanting the following spring.

Top Tip:
Plant 'Yellow Emperor' in bold drifts with blue and purple flowering companions such as salvias or alliums for a striking colour contrast. The long, elegant stems also make excellent cut flowers.

Plant Details

Flowering Period:
May – June (depending on season and conditions)

Height:
16–20" (40–50cm) (approx.)

Position:
Full sun

Half Hardy Perennial