Freesias are perennial bulbs that flower during the summer. This flower is available in blue, pink, red, white, yellow, cream, lavender and orange. Freesias are commonly used as cut flowers.

Considerations

Freesias tolerate winters in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. To keep freesia bulbs for several years, the bulbs are dug up right after a killing frost and dried for two weeks. Store the bulbs in a dry area at 1.67 to 4.44 degrees Celsius.

Warning

Freesia bulbs act like annuals if not overwintered indoors in cold climates. If the bulbs freeze in the ground during the winter, then the bulbs rot after the ground thaws out. The freesia flowers will have to be planted again from newly purchased bulbs.

History

Freesias originate from southern Africa where the rainfall occurs mainly during the winter. Freesias tend to naturalise in coastal areas without freezing temperatures. This flowering bulb invades favourable landscapes and continues in the wild as a perennial flower.