Planting guide
When to plant freesia
Intensely perfumed spring flowers from corms that naturalise in mild gardens. In Melbourne it goes in Feb–May.
- Start as
- Corm
- Flowers in
- 17–21 wks
- Spacing
- 8 cm
- Depth
- 5 cm
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Regular
- Effort
- Easy
- Colours
- white, yellow, purple, pink, red, blue, multi
- Frost-tender
- No
When it goes in
● means freesia can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's climate zone and season, the way planting guides do it. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Melbourne | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Brisbane | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Perth | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Adelaide | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Gold Coast | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Newcastle | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Sunshine Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Canberra | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Geelong | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Hobart | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Townsville | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cairns | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toowoomba | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Darwin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Ballarat | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mandurah | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bendigo | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Launceston | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mackay | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Rockhampton | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Coffs Harbour | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Blue Mountains | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bunbury | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bundaberg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Alice Springs | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mildura | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Port Macquarie | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| London | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Austin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Singapore | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mumbai | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Paris | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
How to plant freesia
- Plant corms 5cm deep, pointy end up, in autumn.
- Choose a sunny, well drained spot.
- Water through winter and spring.
- Leave the leaves to die back after flowering.
Freesia varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- Blue freesia Classic17–21 wksBlue flowers
- Diggers Mix Classicmixed · 17–21 wksMixed colours, about 20cm tall
- Refracta Alba Classic17–21 wksCream flowers, about 15cm tall
- Royal Crown Mix Classicmixed · 17–21 wksMixed colours
Where to buy seedlings
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Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Freesia by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Sweet pea · Snapdragon · Larkspur · Stock · Dahlia · Gladiolus
Not sure freesia is right for your space? Answer a few taps and see everything that can go in this week.
Find what else you can plant now