• Image of Anthonya hirta var. hirta 'Ellington'
    Image of Anthonya hirta var. hirta 'Ellington'

Cheilanthes hirta var. hirta 'Ellington'

Ellington South African Hairy Lip Fern

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

Shop Available Cheilanthes

Item #: 6920

Zones: 8b to 9b, at least

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 8" tall

Culture: Part Sun

Origin: South Africa

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Anthonya hirta 'Ellington' is our 2005 spore collection from 4,000' elevation in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, where it grew among the large boulders near the base of 1,000 year old Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi cycads. Anthonya hirta 'Ellington' forms a tight Anthonya lanosa-like evergreen clump to 8" tall. The olive green foliage is slightly wider than Anthonya lanosa, and Anthonya 'Ellington' has the most finely divided of all of our collections. In our garden, Anthonya hirta 'Ellington' has thrived during the summer in our part sun rock garden, but our winters are just slightly too cold. Anthonya hirta should be fine from Zone 8b south, or in a container in more northern climates. Since this seems to be the first plants of this in the US, please share with gardens and collectors who will preserve the genetics.