General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9a -6.7 °C (20 °F) to -3.9 °C (25 °F)
Plant Height: 6-8 inches
Leaves: Spring ephemeral
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Orange
Red
White
Yellow
Other: Red, orange, salmon, or white, with purple center
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Underground structures: Corm
Bulb
Suitable Locations: Alpine Gardening
Uses: Cut Flower
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon

Image
Common names
  • Cape Buttercup
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Sparaxis elegans
  • Synonym: Streptanthera cuprea
  • Synonym: Streptanthera elegans

Photo Gallery
Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2015-03-02
Cape Buttercup (Sparaxis elegans) Zone 9b
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-03-18
Just behind isTulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane' and California Brittleb
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2016-03-20
Zone 9b.
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-03-06
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-02-27
Bloomed weeks ahead of the typical mid March bloom time.
Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2015-03-06
Cape Buttercup (Sparaxis elegans) Zone 9b

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2009-03-10

Date: 2017-10-19
Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2015-03-15
Yellow dashes in the throat give this form an additional interest

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
Plant Events from our members
HamiltonSquare On February 28, 2018 Bloomed
Blooming started a couple weeks earlier than it's usual mid-March bloom.
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