Diascia 'Pink Butterfly'

Diascia 'Pink Butterfly' is a perennial from the Scrophulariaceae family, a horticultural cultivar resulting from selection work based on South African species of the genus Diascia, mainly originating from the meadows and rocky areas of the Drakensberg and the highlands of Lesotho and South Africa.

It forms a low and spreading clump, slightly drooping, 20 to 30 cm in height, with small, heart-shaped, light green, slightly toothed foliage, borne on thin and branched stems that give it an airy and delicate appearance.

The flowers, in soft pink to salmon pink, are characteristic of the genus: bilabiate, with two small, very recognizable dorsal spurs that give the genus its English nickname of twinspur. They are arranged in loose and graceful spikes that rise above the foliage in great numbers throughout the season. In cultivation under our climates, flowering extends from May until the first frosts, with a slight pause possible in the peak summer heat.

It thrives in full sun to light partial shade, in well-drained soil, fresh without excess moisture. Hardy to about -10 °C depending on conditions, it can behave as a perennial in well-drained and sheltered situations, but is often grown as an annual or biennial in regions with wet winters. It is suitable for walls, rockery borders, and planters.