Watsonia 'Royal Salmon'

Description and Characteristics

Watsonia ‘Royal Salmon’ is a tall, eye-catching cormous perennial admired for its soft yet vivid salmon-pink trumpet-shaped blooms. Flowering in late spring to early summer, this cultivar adds an upright, elegant presence to sunny borders and dry garden schemes. Each slender spike carries multiple pastel salmon flowers arranged neatly along the top of a strong, vertical stem, offering both structure and warm colour.

This variety is part of the South African Watsonia genus, and shares the genus’s clump-forming habit, drought tolerance, and architectural beauty. The bright green, sword-shaped foliage emerges early and forms attractive upright clumps that remain appealing even after flowering.

Reaching 1.2–1.5 metres in height and spreading 30–45 cm, ‘Royal Salmon’ is ideal for mass planting, cut flower gardens, gravel borders, and Mediterranean-style designs. It’s especially effective in drifts or as a vertical accent, and its nectar-rich flowers make it attractive to pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

• Tall flowering spikes with soft salmon-pink tubular flowers

• Height: 120–150 cm; Spread: 30–45 cm

• Flowering time: May to July

• Elegant, upright habit with sword-like foliage

• Ideal for dry gardens, formal borders, and cut flower use

• Popular with bees, hoverflies, and butterflies

Growing Conditions and Maintenance

Watsonia ‘Royal Salmon’ is well-suited to sunny, well-drained locations and is considered easy to grow with minimal maintenance once established. It prefers warm, dry summers and can be grown in the ground or large containers in sheltered positions.

• Light Requirements:

  • Thrives in full sun—essential for strong stems and prolific flowering

  • Avoid planting in shade, which can cause weak, floppy growth

• Soil Preferences:

  • Prefers well-drained, sandy or loamy soil

  • Avoid clay or wet areas—especially in winter

  • Enrich soil with grit and compost at planting for best results

• Watering Needs:

  • Water regularly during the growing season until flowering finishes

  • Once established, drought-tolerant

  • Do not overwater in summer dormancy or winter months

• Feeding:

  • Feed with a balanced fertiliser in spring when growth emerges

  • Optional: apply a high-potash fertiliser during bloom to promote strong flowering

• Deadheading and Pruning:

  • Cut spent flower spikes to the base to maintain a neat appearance

  • Leave foliage in place after flowering to feed the corm

  • Remove any yellowed or withered leaves in autumn

• Winter Care:

  • Hardy to approximately -5°C; mulch crowns deeply in colder climates

  • In very cold or wet areas, lift and store corms after the foliage dies back

  • Container-grown plants should be brought into a frost-free location during winter

• Planting Time:

  • Plant corms in spring or autumn, 10–15 cm deep and 15–20 cm apart

  • Allow sufficient air flow between plants to prevent fungal issues

Garden Design, Companions, and Pollinator Benefits

Watsonia ‘Royal Salmon’ makes a stunning architectural feature in planting designs, offering vertical structure, early summer colour, and strong performance in low-maintenance schemes.

• Design Applications:

  • Excellent for dry borders, Mediterranean gardens, cut flower beds, and urban courtyards

  • Perfect for mass planting, creating seasonal screens, or adding soft colour to modern designs

  • Ideal for use in coastal gardens, gravel planting, or tall containers

• Companion Plants:

  • Pairs beautifully with echinacea, gaura, crocosmia, kniphofia, and salvia

  • Complements grasses such as Stipa tenuissima, Panicum, or Miscanthus

  • Blends nicely with silver-toned foliage like Artemisia, Santolina, or Helichrysum

• Pollinator Value:

  • Nectar-rich blooms attract bees, butterflies, and hoverflies

  • Flowers during a time when pollinator forage is transitioning from spring bulbs to summer perennials

  • A valuable component in wildlife-friendly planting schemes

• Cut Flower Use:

  • Long-lasting blooms in floral arrangements (up to 7 days)

  • Harvest stems when lower flowers begin to open

  • Adds height and soft colour to summer bouquets

• Propagation and Longevity:

  • Propagate by dividing corms in autumn or early spring

  • Long-lived in well-drained soils; divide clumps every few years for vigour

  • Can also be grown from seed, though flowering may take 2–3 years

• Pest and Disease Resistance:

  • Largely trouble-free

  • Slugs and snails may target young shoots in early spring

  • Avoid overwatering to prevent corm rot or mildew

We currently only deliver within the island of Ireland, other countries can be quoted for by contacting [email protected] or via telephone on 06964084
 

Standard Delivery is FREE on orders over €250*

All standard deliveries will be completed within 5-7 working days via Fastway Couriers, any delay to this delivery time, the customer will be notified by One of our staff.

The in-Store delivery charge will vary compared with online, in-store delivery charge is done on a case by case basis. 

* Only mainland Ireland addresses qualify for free delivery.
 

Live Plants Delivery

Our live plants are packed with care and diligence by our staff, our horticulturists review each plant before despatch to ensure quality is maintained.
Live Plant delivery charges are not calculated on weight but on the space required per package to ensure safe delivery, so delivery charges may vary as some plants require more space than others when packed.
All live plants are despatched within 3-5 working days where possible, our couriers aim to deliver within 48 hours of despatch from our Garden Centre to allow the plant to arrive in healthy condition.
 

Click & Collect

Can’t wait for delivery? Why not try our FREE Click & Collect service? Simply make your purchase online and collect it from our store located in Croagh Co. Limerick. Our staff will contact you by phone when your order is ready for collection (Please allow 24 hours minimum). When collecting your item, call the store on 069-64084. We will then load into your car as required. This service is available in-store 9am – 6pm Monday – Saturday (No collections on Sundays)

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If you have any further questions about the online order payment please contact us via ­069 640 84 or mail.