Bulb · Iridaceae
Freesia
Freesia refracta
Plant the corms in cool weather and freesia rewards you with arching sprays of intensely fragrant winter blooms.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
61–70°F · 16–21°C
70–84 days
Overview
Freesia is a tender corm from the iris family, native to South Africa and grown the world over for its scent. The flowers line up along one side of a wiry, arching stem and open in sequence, so a single spray keeps going for days. Few cut flowers carry a fragrance this strong, which is why florists reach for it again and again.
It is a cool-season grower that flowers in winter to early spring, roughly 10 to 12 weeks after the corms go in. In the mild ground of USDA zones 9 and 10 the corms can stay outdoors and come back each year. Anywhere colder, gardeners grow freesia in pots and bring the corms inside before frost, since a hard freeze kills them.
Color runs the full range, from white and gold through blue and red, and the white forms tend to smell the sweetest of all. Freesia asks for full sun, a fast-draining mix, and a careful hand with the watering can. Wet feet are the one thing it won't forgive.
Care
The short version: give freesia full sun, a fast-draining mix, and steady but light watering during growth, then ease off as the foliage yellows and the corms head into dormancy.
Light
Freesia flowers best in full sun, though it will take a little partial shade. Too much shade gives you weak, floppy stems and far fewer blooms, so give it the brightest spot you have.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist through active growth, watering roughly every 3 to 7 days, but never let it sit wet. Overwatering rots the corms faster than anything. Once the foliage starts to yellow, cut back sharply and let the plant slide into dormancy.
Soil
Plant in an organic-rich, well-drained mix loosened with coarse sand or crushed rock. Freesia is easygoing about pH, taking anything from 6.0 to 8.0, but it is fussy about drainage, since standing water is what kills the corms.
Temperature
Freesia is a cool-season grower that does best between 61°F and 70°F (16°C to 21°C). It sets buds well in those mild conditions, and hot weather cuts the bloom short.
Humidity
Average household or garden humidity suits freesia fine, so there's no figure to aim for. Good airflow counts for more, since crowded, stagnant air invites the pests and rot that trouble the plant.
Feeding
Feed monthly through active growth and flowering with a balanced or low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer. Heavy nitrogen pushes leaves at the expense of the flowers you actually want.
Pruning
There's no real pruning to do. Deadhead the spent flowers to keep things tidy, then let the foliage die back on its own before you lift and store the corms, because those fading leaves are feeding next year's bloom.
Repotting
Freesia is replanted rather than repotted. Start each season with fresh or stored corms, and lift and divide when crowded corms begin throwing fewer or smaller blooms or simply outgrow the pot.
Size & spacing
Plants reach 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) tall with a slim spread of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm). Set the corms about 1 to 2 inches apart so the clumps fill in without crowding.
When to plant
Freesia runs on a cool-season clock. Plant the corms from late summer through early winter, let them grow through the cool months, and the fragrant flowers arrive from winter into early spring, about 10 to 12 weeks after planting.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Plant corms in pots in late summer through early winter (succession planting extends bloom)
- Plant: In zones 9-10, plant corms in fall; elsewhere grow in containers and overwinter corms indoors
- Harvest: Winter to early spring, about 10-12 weeks after planting
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 9–10
Temperature: down to -7°C
Troubleshooting
Most freesia trouble traces back to water and a few common pests. Catch the early signs on the corms and leaves and you can step in before the damage spreads. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Corms turn soft and the plant collapses
This is corm rot, and it almost always starts with soil that stays too wet. Sodden ground also opens the door to fusarium wilt and root rot pathogens. Stop watering so often, mix in coarse sand or crushed rock for drainage, and toss any corm that has gone soft and brown.
Fix:
- Stop overwatering and improve drainage
- Discard rotted corms
- Replant healthy corms in fresh, well-drained organic-rich mix
Twisted new growth and sticky, shiny leaves
Curled growth and a sticky film point to aphids or thrips feeding on the tender shoots. Check the new leaves and their undersides for the clusters or the slim, darting thrips. A hard spray of water knocks most of them off, and insecticidal soap clears anything that hangs on.
Fix:
- Rinse off insects with water
- Treat with insecticidal soap if infestation persists
Ragged holes in leaves and flowers with slime trails
Irregular holes and silvery trails are the work of slugs and snails, which come out to feed after watering or rain. Pick them off by hand in the evening when they are active. Bait or a barrier ring keeps them off, and clearing away damp debris removes the daytime hideouts they rely on.
Fix:
- Hand-pick slugs and snails
- Use bait or barriers around plants
Toxicity
Freesia is a safe choice for a home with animals. The ASPCA lists it among the non-toxic bouquet flowers, and there's no report of real poisoning in pets or livestock. A pet that chews a stem might get a brief, mild stomach upset, nothing more.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Freesia is safe around cats, with nothing toxic in the leaves, flowers, or corms. A cat that nibbles a stem might get a brief bout of mild stomach upset, the same as with any plant outside its normal diet.
Dogs None
Dogs can share a room with freesia with no risk of poisoning. The worst a curious chewer faces is a little drooling or a loose stool from eating something it shouldn't.
Horses Safe
Freesia carries no known toxins for horses. A mouthful of foliage may pass through with no more than a passing digestive grumble.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits are not at risk from freesia, since the plant holds nothing poisonous. As with any new green, a sudden large helping could loosen the gut, so go slow.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep face no poisoning from grazing freesia foliage. Unfamiliar plant material can still cause mild, short-lived stomach upset in any animal.
Birds Safe
Freesia poses no toxic threat to pet or backyard birds. There is nothing in the plant that warrants keeping a bird away from it.
People Safe
Freesia is not poisonous to people, which is why it turns up so often in cut bouquets. It isn't grown to be eaten, so there's no reason to taste it, but a stray bit does no harm.
Non-toxic, but ingestion of plant material that is not part of a pet's normal diet may cause mild stomach upset.
Varieties
Freesia comes in a wide spread of colors, and a few named cultivars show up most often. These are the ones worth knowing by name.
Royal Blue
A blue-flowered cultivar, an uncommon color among the warmer freesia shades.
Golden Passion
A gold to yellow form grown above all for its strong, sweet fragrance.
White River
A white-flowered cultivar, and the white forms are reported to carry the richest scent of all.
Red Lion
A red-flowered cultivar that brings the boldest color to a freesia planting.
How to propagate
Freesia is easy to multiply, whether you split the corms you already have or start with a fresh bag from the garden center.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Lift and separate offset cormels when foliage yellows and the plant goes dormant · Replant and bloom the following season (about 10-12 weeks after replanting)
Dividing the corms and their offsets is the easiest and most reliable way to multiply freesia. Wait until the foliage yellows and the plant slips into dormancy, then lift the clump and pull apart the small cormels around the parent. Replanted in the next cycle, they bloom about 10 to 12 weeks later.
Bulbs & cormsEasy
Plant corms in late summer through early winter for winter to early spring bloom · Flowers normally appear 10-12 weeks after planting
Starting from bought corms is just as simple. Plant them 1 to 2 inches deep and 1 to 2 inches apart, pointed end up, in a well-drained mix any time from late summer through early winter. Flowers follow about 10 to 12 weeks later, carrying the bloom from winter into early spring.
SeedModerate
Sow seed in the growing season · Seed-grown plants take 1-2 years to reach flowering size
Growing from seed works but takes patience. Sow during the growing season and expect the plants to need 1 to 2 years to reach flowering size. It's slower than division, so few home gardeners bother with it.
Myths
Freesia corms can be left in the ground all year in any climate.
Freesias are frost-tender and hardy only in USDA zones 9 to 10. In colder areas the corms have to be lifted and stored, or grown in containers and overwintered indoors, or a hard freeze will finish them.
Freesia is poisonous to cats and dogs.
The ASPCA lists freesia among the non-toxic bouquet flowers, and it isn't reported as harmful to pets. A nibble may bring on mild stomach upset, but that's the same with most plants outside an animal's usual diet, not real poisoning.