MADAM,

Regarding your flower mystery (‘Sunny flower a blooming mystery,’ 1st August) it is not a day lily as was suggested last week, so the mystery is not solved.

I ran a nursery for 12 years so I know it is a Tigridia, known as a Ruba.

Is there anyone who thinks something else?

Shirley Tyrrell

(Trellech)

MADAM,

Regarding the mystery flower from the edition of two weeks ago, this flower is in fact a Tiger flower or Tigridia pavonia, a member of the iris family.

They are also known as the Peacock flower or Jockey’s cap lily. Each flower does only last a day but there is a continuous succession of blooms.

It is a native of South America and was cultivated by the Aztecs more than a thousand years ago. The corms were roasted and eaten. It was introduced to Britain in 1796.

They are quite hardy unless in very cold waterlogged soil and will spread laterally to form a good clump.

I hope this can shed some light on the mystery.

Debbie Devauden

(Usk)