Sparaxis earns its common name honestly. The 15 species in this South African genus produce flowers in vivid gold and multicolored combinations that have a theatrical, almost painted quality uncommon in the bulb world. Growing to about 2 feet tall and 8 inches wide, the plants emerge from corms during the wet winter season, flower through April and May, then retreat into summer dormancy. That lifecycle is the key to understanding how to grow them: they want their growth period cool and wet and their dormant period warm and dry, which aligns naturally with a Mediterranean climate or a careful container regimen elsewhere.

In zones 8 through 11 they can be left in the ground where drainage is sharp. In cooler areas, plant the corms in fall at about 5 inches deep with 2 to 3 inches of spacing, then lift them when the leaves die back and store them dry at 68 to 77 degrees through the summer before replanting in fall. A south-facing wall provides the reflected warmth they favor. Where temperatures threaten to drop below 25 degrees, a generous layer of mulch during cold spells offers meaningful protection. Propagation from the offsets produced around dormant corms is the most reliable method; seed-grown plants typically flower in their second year.