Cape cowslip

Cape cowslip Overview

Natives of damp areas and riverbanks of South Africa, this genus of only 2 species of perennial plants are in the Scrophulariaceae (figwort) family. In the wild in milder areas they are evergreen shrubs but when cultivated in colder climates they are often grown as herbaceous specimens and allowed to die down over winter unless given some protection from frost. They have attractive pendant tubular flowers in shades of white, yellow and red and several cultivars and hybrids have been developed mainly to breed varieties more suited to growing in the UK.