Acidanthera Companion Plants

Ground Covers

• Don't leave the area around your acidanthera empty. Fill in bare spots with ground cover. These spreading, low-growing plants prevent soil erosion, run-off and weed growth. Choose evergreen species to provide color and texture year-round, even in the winter when you store or heavily mulch your acidanthera's corms. Dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus "Nana") is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 8 and grows well in sun to shade and well-drained soil. This slow-growing evergreen reaches heights of 2 to 3 inches and grows in clumps of fine, grass-like foliage. Prostrate abelia (Abelia x grandiflora "Prostrata") is hardy in zones 6 to 9 and grows to 2 feet tall with a 5-foot spread. This evergreen has small, lustrous foliage that turns coppery green to red in winter. It thrives in sun to partial shade and well-drained soil and tolerates drought and pruning.

Ornamental Grasses

• Ornamental grasses also prevent erosion and run-off with their shallow, fibrous root systems, but they don't spread as widely as ground covers. Ornamental grasses grow to a maximum size so don't require much maintenance in terms of pruning. Pumila grass (Cortaderia selloana "Pumila) grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10. It thrives in sun to light shade and well-drained soil. This dwarf pampas grass produces white, fluffy plumes in summer. Weeping love grass is hardy in zones 7 to 9 and grows to 3 feet tall. It is named for the arching, slightly pendulous purple flowers it produces in summer. This hardy grass has fine, clumping green foliage that turns yellow to copper in winter.

Perennials

• With a bit of planning, your perennial companions produce color through the growing season. Woods sorrel (Oxalis crassipes) blooms with pink and white flowers in spring. This tough perennial is hardy in zones 7 to 9 and tolerates a range of site conditions. It grows to 12 inches tall. Brazilian verbena (Verbena bonariensis) blooms from summer through late fall. It attracts butterflies with its purple blossoms and grows from 3 to 4 feet tall in an upright form. Brazilian verbena is hardy in zones 7 to 9 and prefers full sun and well-draining soil.

Annuals

• Annuals live for only a single season, but they tend to bloom for much longer than most perennials. Choose sun-loving species that grow best in well-drained soil. Species to plant near Acidanthera include the anise hyssop (Acalypha hispida), which attracts bees with its aromatic purple flowers. It blooms in summer and grows to 4 feet tall. The summer snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia) blooms from spring through fall with white, pink, blue and purple blossoms. This 2- to 4-foot-tall annual tolerates heat and drought.