Showy red racemes on multiple inflorescences decorate this tall-stemmed, large cultivar from early to beyond mid winter. For gardeners looking for ferox-style plants with the flowering capacity created by hybrid vigour, this cultivar provides the answer. ‘Tsomo’s deep red candelabras are as attractive as they are sculptural.
The leaves on this cultivar are greenish grey with smallish spines. The plant does not produce stem shoots, nor does it readily divide its rosette. This means that more energy can be devoted to producing flowers and growing a stem/trunk. Still, the latter is not particularly fast-growing.
If I had to choose a companion for the conspicuous red flowers of ‘Tsomo’, it would be ‘Abundance’ with its wide arrangement of bright orange inflorescences. If planted behind ‘Tsomo’, ‘Abundance’s different flowering style makes for a beautiful blend.
‘Tsomo’ should be given a space on the open rockery where its development is not curtailed by lack of space.
13 June 2015. Updated 17 July 2015