Dierama pulcherrimum (angel's fishing rod)

Japanese name: ディエラマ プルケリムム
Scientific name: Dierama pulcherrimum

[Overview]
An evergreen perennial 1.5 m tall.
The corm is ovate and covered with a fibrous outer coat.
The leaves are arranged in two ranks, linear, and up to 1 m long.
A spike is produced at the tip of a long, wiry flower stalk, and the stalk arches downward under the weight of the flowers.
The flowers are bell-shaped, 3 cm long, facing downward, and reddish purple.
The flowers have membranous bracts.
The fruit is a spherical capsule, and the seeds are round and glossy.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division of corms.
It is somewhat tender to cold, and can overwinter outdoors in frost-free areas from the Kanto region southward.
In cold regions, it is best to protect it from frost and mulch to prevent freezing.
It prefers fertile, slightly moist soil that is sunny, well drained and moisture-retentive.
Take care not to let it dry out, and water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
It needs little fertilizer, and if a base fertilizer is applied nothing more is needed, but for potted plants, slow-release fertilizer may be placed on the soil in spring or autumn depending on how the plant is growing.
If you do not want to collect seed, cut off the flower stalks after flowering so the plant does not become exhausted.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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