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Dietes grandiflora 'Gray Ghost' (Gray Striped Fortnight Lily) - This evergreen rhizomatous perennial produces clumps of long, upright narrow leaves that reach 3 feet tall. Unlike the species, this selection has gray-green leaves that have with creamy-white marginal stripes. The flowers rise above the foliage on erect slender stems have outer white petals with a golden area near the base and the inner petals are white, flecked with brown at the base. The inner most petal-like structures, called style branches are violet colored. Flowers year round in coastal southern California gardens with individual flower lasting only a few days and are quickly followed by new flowers.
The fortnight lily is very drought tolerant in shade but can also be grown in full sun with regular to occasional irrigation. Seems to bloom best with regular watering. A good container plant or used in mass plantings or as a solitary accent clump. Hardy to 15 degrees F. This selection is slightly smaller than other Dietes grandiflora varieties that we grow but most other aspects are similar - for more general information on it see Dietes grandiflora.
This cultivar 'Gray Ghost' originated as a selection we made from our stock plants of the more common cream striped greener leafed selection that we list as Dietes grandiflora 'Variegata' from which it differs in being a slightly shorter plant with grayer foliage and a whiter variegation. We have grown this cultivar since 2019 and also grow Dietes grandiflora 'Sunstripe' that has green leaves striped with yellow.
The information displayed on this page about Dietes grandiflora 'Gray Ghost' is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.
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