Watsonia, commonly known as bugle lily, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (subfamily Crocoideae), within the order Asparagales. The genus comprises around 50–60 species of cormous geophytes native to southern Africa, principally South Africa, with a smaller presence in Lesotho and Eswatini.
Plants produce fan-like clusters of long, sword-shaped leaves similar to those of Gladiolus, to which Watsonia is closely related. From the corm, tall erect spikes arise bearing rows of tubular, funnel-shaped flowers in shades of pink, orange, red, or white. The flower tube is longer and more slender than that of Gladiolus, giving the bugle-lily its common name.
The genus was named in honour of Sir William Watson (1715–1787), an 18th-century British botanist and physician. It was formally described by the Scottish botanist Philip Miller.
Although now largely overlooked by commercial horticulture — having been eclipsed in popularity by Gladiolus and related genera — Watsonia was the subject of active breeding programs in the early 20th century. John Cronin in Australia and Luther Burbank in California crossed the pink-flowered Watsonia borbonica with W. meriana and other species to produce a wide range of garden cultivars.
Several species have become significant invasive weeds outside their native range. Introduced to Australia as garden ornamentals in the mid-19th century, six species have naturalised in south-west Western Australia, spreading along rivers, wetlands, and seasonally wet ground where they displace native understorey vegetation and create fire hazards. Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera is additionally invasive in New Zealand, Réunion, and Mauritius.
Etymology
The genus Watsonia was named in honour of Sir William Watson (1715–1787), an 18th-century British botanist and physician. The common name "bugle lily" refers to the long, narrow, tubular shape of the flowers, which resembles a bugle horn.
Distribution
Watsonia is native to southern Africa, with the majority of species found in South Africa and a smaller number in Lesotho and Eswatini. Several species have been introduced outside this range as garden ornamentals: six species have naturalised in south-west Western Australia along rivers and wetlands, and W. meriana var. bulbillifera has become naturalised in New Zealand, Réunion, and Mauritius.
Cultivation
The most commonly cultivated species is the pink-flowered Watsonia borbonica and its white mutant 'Arderne's White'. In the early 20th century, breeders including John Cronin in Australia and Luther Burbank in California crossed it with W. meriana and other species to produce a wide range of cultivars. The genus has since been largely neglected by the nursery industry, having been eclipsed in popularity by Gladiolus and other bulbs.
