Freesia viridis is a perennial, geophyte endemic to the Northern Cape and the Western Cape. The species occurs from Hondeklip Bay to Bok Bay. The plant has lost its habitat to urban development.
Taxonomy It was first described as Gladiolus viridis by William Aiton in 1789.Aiton, William, Bauer, Franz Andreas, Sowerby, James, Ehret, Georg Dionysius, & Nicol, George. (1789). Hortus Kewensis, or, A catalogue of the plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew (Vol. 3, p. 481). Printed for George Nicol, Bookseller to his Majesty. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5875241Gladiolus viridis Aiton. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved March 9, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/437988-1 It was moved to the genus Freesia as Freesia viridis by Peter Goldblatt and John Charles Manning in 1995.Freesia viridis (Aiton) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved March 9, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/983611-1 Etymology The specific epithet viridis means green.Erica urna-viridis Bolus. (n.d.). PlantZAfrica. Retrieved March 9, 2026, from https://pza.sanbi.org/erica-urna-viridis Varieties It has two varieties: Freesia viridis subsp. crispifolia Freesia viridis subsp. viridis
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