Here’s a summer bulb flower so sophisticated and, well, sexy, you’d never guess its secret. One might think that plants this cool must require the technical skills of obsessed eccentrics to sustain the beauty of their fabulous flowers. But that’s not the case. In fact tigridia is so easy to grow, it’s silly!

This delightful sun-lover with jaunty triangular flowers and upright blade-shaped leaves is native to South and Central America. Commonly called Mexican shell flower or tiger flower, tigridia is a treasure of the mid-summer garden. Its large flared flowers are vividly-colored and come in two-tone combinations pairing white, pink, red, orchid, yellow or orange with contrasting center spots. Each blossom rides atop a slender stem 18- to 24-inches tall. The flowers are 3- to 6-inches wide, with three large one-color petals flanking three small spotted petals that emerge from a similarly-speckled center cup.

This spotted demeanor, of course, begs the question: why is a spotted plant called “tiger” when it is the leopard who wears the spots? But, as so often happens in botanical lingo, a long ago issue with “word retrieval” by a New World explorer is most likely behind this spots-for-stripes mix-up.

Like those of daylilies, the delicate flowers of tigridia bloom for only a single day. But, as each plant produces an abundance of stems, the flowering period, in reality, lasts several weeks.

Members of the Iris family, the most popular tigridia varieties are species and cultivars of Tigridia pavonia. These are most often sold in mixed collections, though cultivars such as scarlet Tigridia ‘Speciosa’ and yellow T. ‘Aurea’ and others are also found in one-color collections. All are readily available in spring at garden centers, home centers and via mail-order garden catalogues.

Tigridia are hardy in USDA zones 9 and above. In zones 7 and 8, they can be treated as hardy, if well-mulched, but must be treated as frost sensitive in all other zones. Their best use is in the bed or border and in large containers. It’s a good idea to plant them among low-growing flowering plants or groundcovers as their foliage is sparse and their stems thin and delicate. Growing out of a lush, thick groundcover, however, tigridia are especially exquisite. An added bonus: cut the first flowers back (six inches down the stem) and they should bloom again.

Once a favorite of Victorian gardeners, this speckled beauty loves full sun and well-drained soil. Plant the corms about 3-inches deep and 4- to 5-inches apart, and water-well over the season. Then wait to see the look on the faces of your friends and neighbors. Few are likely to guess how easy they were to grow!

For additional information on gardening and summer bulb flowers, visit www.bulb.com, the site of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center.