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Products > Drimiopsis maculata   Drimiopsis maculata - Little White Soldiers Note: This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.   [2nd Image] Habit and Cultural Information Category: Bulb/Tuber/Rhizome etc. Family: Hyacinthaceae (~Amaryllidaceae) Origin: South Africa (Africa) Bloomtime: Spring Synonyms: [Scilla schlechteri, Ledebouria petiolata] Height: <1 foot Width: <1 foot Exposure: Light Shade/Part Sun Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F Drimiopsis maculata (Little White Soldiers) - Deciduous bulb from South Africa that is related to Ornithogalum with flat somewhat fleshy oblong-ovate leaves that have darker translucent spots. The flower stalk rises 6 to 12 inches above the foliage bearing a tight cluster of small bright white flower buds that open and turn to a pale green. Plant in light shade, in a well-draining soil and irrigate moderately. Will multiply in the garden to form clumps that should be divided every few years. Although not hardy to hard frosts this plant can be grown in cooler climates because it is winter deciduous. It is often recommended to USDA zones 8-10 but we have been told by Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery that it has withstood 6° F for him and should be considered good to Zone 7b. An attractive plant in the garden when used in mass or in pockets within a rock garden and also makes a charming container plant. The name Drimiopis means looking like plants in the genus Drimia, a related plant in the Hyacinthaceae that gets its name from the Greek word for acrid in reference to the roots causing an inflammation of the skin. In a recent treatment of this genus by J. Manning, P. Goldblatt & M.F. Fay in " Revised Generic Synopsis of Hyacinthaceae in Sub-Saharan Africa" in the Edinburgh Journal of Botany 60(3): 533-568 (2004) the authors propose that the genus Drimia be sunk into Ledebouria.  This information is based on research conducted about this plant in our nursery library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of it in our nursery of crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we have visited. We will incorporate comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Drimiopsis maculata.     [MORE INFO]